


The Surveillance of Akira Kurusu

by MissArchades



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Attempted Sexual Assault, Breastfeeding, Cunnilingus, Dildos, F/M, Female Ejaculation, Female Protagonist, Gentle Kissing, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Lust, Male-Female Friendship, Masturbation, Morning Wood, Multiple Orgasms, Mutual Pining, Neck Kissing, Nipple Piercings, Nosebleed, Oral Sex, Phone Sex, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Pregnancy Kink, Rough Kissing, Sexual Fantasy, Sexual Roleplay, Sleepy Cuddles, Slow Burn, Surveillance, Touching, Uncircumcised Penis, Vaginal Sex, Voyeurism, endgame spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-24
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-09-26 17:57:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 34,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9914279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissArchades/pseuds/MissArchades
Summary: Goro’s perceptive eye caught on to the little audio bug Futaba planted in LeBlanc.  With a bit of patience and wiliness, he struck back with a bug of his own, discreetly planted in the attic Akira Kurusu dwelt in.  Now the battle against the Phantom Thieves would tip in his favor!...or not.The protagonist is using the name given in the manga, and is female.Reader discretion is advised.





	1. Mission Start!

**Author's Note:**

> Dear Atlus: Should you re-release this game, add a female option so I can become Goro's love interest dammit.
> 
> Pointy Brackets (<>) refer to dialogue via audio recording.

_Cafe LeBlanc_

 

“Hey, we close in an hour, okay?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t be much longer. Since I’m here though, can I have one more round?”

“All right.”

In hindsight, Goro thought, a fourth cup of his favorite LeBlanc brew was a poor choice, given the late hour and the jitters that racked his body his second cup in. But like any good detective, he needed to keep suspicion thrown off of him at all times. He took a pen in his left hand and his cell in his right and, on a fresh page began the start of a log he had been anticipating to make for ages: _Surveillance Notes._

“Long night of work?” Sojiro asked, noting the title of the page. Goro yelped.

“Ah...yes. New case. I can’t give the details, but we’re after someone.”

Sojiro nodded. “I understand. Just be sure not to have any more coffee after this one. You’re a great customer and all, but you're getting a little twitchy.”

“It’s nothing I’m not used to,” Goro replied, leg shaking. “I’ve gone without sleep on some cases.”

“No kidding,” Sojiro replied with a grin. “I guess I was wrong about you.  You don't just play a detective on TV.  Best of luck to ya."

“Thank you, Master.”

Goro shivered.

His usual faked smile lost its luster in the face of the older gentleman’s thanks. The man had been hospitable, actually took the time to speak to him every so often. It would be the second time that someone seemed to _care._

“ _Or does he?”_

He’d always ask himself that. He had appearances to keep, after all, and it was all he had to after all these years.

He shook his head, dispersing his dark thoughts and began to write. On the top, next to the surveillance notes title, he wrote: _Akira Kurusu._

She would be the other person who seemed to care.

“ _She doesn’t.”_

“Tch...”

Another shake to disperse _him,_  that damning voice that haunted him _._ He couldn’t fully deny him, but he didn’t want to hear it at the moment.

“So, where to begin...”

Ever since their fateful meeting at one of his talk shows, Goro was drawn to Akira Kurusu like a magnet, half out of genuine curiosity/admiration, half because he quickly realized that she was leading a small revolution in the “other world” - the world he had found earlier in the year, and the cornerstone of his ultimate goal. The sentiments of the Phantom Thieves – the group she led, reforming the hearts of the corrupt - were noble, endearing even. But given just whom Goro had been pursuing for two long years, the likelihood of their interests clashing would be a problem. The only option was to take them out.

He successfully stayed one jump ahead of them so far, even finding out who their next big target was. But it wasn’t enough. He needed to know more, particularly from the leader herself. Thus, during one visit to the shop, he spotted a peculiar device near the sink.  He got an idea.

He never imagined winding up at the shady military store in Shibuya, but the scruffy gentleman owning it got him an audio bug that was compatible with his phone. All he had to do was plug in a sim card with a phone number on it, and by calling it, Goro could listen in on any conversation being held wherever the device was located. As long as his phone had a wireless connection, the distance between it and the bug didn’t matter. For once, he thanked Akira Kurusu for her random musings about the people she met.

Earlier in the evening Sojiro spent some time far behind the counter, and Goro took the chance to stick the device upstairs in the attic Akira had been living in. He tucked it away inside a potted plant near the exit and – after, dare he say, _admiring_ the homely little space – dashed back downstairs. The older man didn’t notice, and Goro was glad. His luck accumulated further as he discreetly jotted down his earlier notes about the girl and turned his head at the ringing door bell, spotting the dastardly dame herself turning in for the night.

“Welcome back,” Sojiro said warmly, smiling at his new ward. “How was your day?”

“Pretty good,” the girl replied, stretching her back. “I did some pretty neat stuff today.”

“Yeah?”

“They’ve got a new exhibit on pop art at the museum in Ueno. I took Yusuke and Futaba with me. It was fun.”

“Futaba?” Sojiro’s eyes widened. “She went all the way there?”

“Yep. She just up and asked and made it to the subway by herself. Yusuke met her there, though, we met up.”

“No shit...hey, tell me about it tomorrow, okay? I’m exhausted, I need to head in early after I close.”

“Sure thing.” The girl then set her gaze on Goro, gently smiling at him. “Hey there, Akechi.”

There it was – that brief, sharp breathlessness that caught in his chest. On top of that, the smiles he’d give her were completely out of his control, unlike the plastered smiles he’d give for the camera or in public. “H-Hey there, Kurusu.”

“You working on a case?” She asked softly, tilting her head.

“Yeah. It’s gonna be a long night.”

“It’s Sunday though...but I suppose that doesn’t matter for people at work.” She stifled a yawn and plopped her duffle bag on the floor. “I have to admit, there aren’t a lot of people our age who can work like you can.”

“...You aren’t trying to flatter me, are you?”

“No way,” She responded. Even behind her thick aviator glasses, he could see her eyes widen in surprise – and he became surprised in turn. “I don’t like bullshitting others, you know. I mean it. My classmates trash talk people who have to work. The sadist in me wants to see them get taken down a peg when they realize how hard it is.”

Goro paused. Even now, she still managed to surprise him, from her macho attitude to her lack of a filter. Her appearance alone – from the immaculate jeans and bomber jacket, to her tomboyish braids, to the way she stood tall, hands in pockets, looking him in the eye – struck him to the core. Everything about her was completely unbecoming of a girl, and he found himself completely _drawn_ to her because of it -

“ _You are NOT attracted to her.”_

“...You’re something else,” he said softly, shoving the damned notion out of his head.

“It’s just my opinion,” she responded, rotating her shoulder. She took her duffle bag and began heading upstairs. “I’m gonna turn in for the night. Oh, and Akechi?”

“Y-Yes?”

“If you ever want to hang out with me, just hit me up.” She smiled at both him and Sojiro as she ascended upstairs. “Good night.”

“...Good night.”

The atelier door shut itself, and both detective and guardian could hear a mishmash of activity above. Sojiro shook his head and smiled.

“She’s something else, that Akira...”

“...She is,” Goro replied quietly, restraining the anger that bubbled inside him.

“ _What a cunt.”_

“ _How **dare** you call her that!”_

Two voices within Goro had started to clash, and he sighed. Now wasn’t the time to mull over her like that. He had notes to take. He left money for his four cups on the counter and packed up for the night, stifling a yawn.

“Thank you for having me, as usual,” the boy said with a bow. “Have a good night.”

“Come back anytime, kid.”

Goro left the store and sped-walked to the station, feeling overwhelmed by emotions that he didn’t think he was capable of feeling. First it was her, and now the coffee shop owner, and lately, even Sae-san had -

“ _They don’t care. They’re just being polite. Nothing more.”_

...Of course. It had always been that way. Whether it was from his looks, his status, his job, most had greeted him with hostility, nothing more. Goro felt more determined than ever to get the ball rolling on his little surveillance project. He’d take it upon himself to scrape for every last secret from Akira Kurusu, from her daily habits to the machinations of her heists. When he arrived home at his apartment he dialed the phone number the device was linked to, and waited in anticipation as he began getting ready for bed.

<………….>

“ _Static...I swear, if this doesn’t work….”_

<"….gana…? Do you….pick...tos…?">

Goro’s clinched his arms with a grin. “Yes! It’s working!”

<"...yeah. I think you got enough material to make that super-ultra-uber durable lock pick. Now you don’t have to make a million of them anymore!">

He shivered with excitement. Victory was closer than before! He could feel it in every inch of his being. And what a stroke of luck it was in that she and the cat were talking about tools to use in the other world!

<"This is gonna be convenient. But still, making all these lock picks got me thinking…">

<"What up?">

<"With all the tools we’ve been making for our heists, I’ve realized how much I love stuff like this.  Tinkering, making little tools, you know.  I’ve been doing more of it during my free time, but...">

<"What’s the matter, Akira?">

<"...Like, this is fun. I feel like I can really help people by making stuff.  But I like drawing a lot too, and I also like...I mean, I don't know what to do sometimes.">

<"I see...">

...That was unexpected.

<"There’s a local lab hosting a competition where you can make your own device, like robots and stuff.  But there’s also an art competition I want to partake in. Yusuke’s school is competing in that too. And there’s exams coming up...shit, I gotta study.">

<"Don’t drive yourself mad, Akira. You’ve got a whole other year ahead of you, remember? You don’t have to decide right this minute.">  

Goro could hear Morgana leaping off of something.

<But I guess this is yet another facet of humanity that I need to learn about. I’ve seen it with some of your friends.">

<"Facet?">

Goro could hear wrenches being turned as she spoke.

<"Yeah, like the Shogi player from Kosei - the pretty girl who’s always in the church. Not only is she striving to be the best shogi player of all time, but she’s a gravure model too, right? That’s a lot for a seventeen-year old girl to take on.">

<"Hifumi-chan’s only modeling because her mother made her. But you are right. In this day and age, everybody’s either on the fast track or just...gone, I guess.  You either get ahead or you don't.  This sounds mean, but if Futaba-chan weren’t a computer prodigy, she’d be just another shut-in wasting her life away.">

<But she became a shut-in because of the trauma surrounding her mother’s death, remember?>

Goro winced, feeling a sharp pain in his chest.

<That sort of thing isn’t easy for a human to cope with. The one commanding her Palace was a manifestation of all that trauma. That monster had crippled her to near-suicide!>

<That’s right...the monster was that hideous Sphinx.>

The chair she sat on shuffled on the floor.

<I didn’t mean to say she was wasting her life. I guess I’m just frustrated at how she behaved at the museum...I can’t get in her face about that, but still...>

“Huh...” Goro mused. Information was sparse, but it seems that not even the infallible Akira Kurusu was immune to weariness. She was like the ultimate bartender, listening to the problems of so many, himself included.

“I _did_ kinda spill my life story out of nowhere,” he said to himself. “But I haven't since.  Seriously, do these people not know when to leave somebody alone…?”

<"...Wow.">

More shuffling noises – presumably, Morgana had gotten onto the cat bed that Goro got a glimpse of.

<"I’ve never heard you talk like this before. Maybe you should go to bed. You have school tomorrow.">

Goro grimaced. The cat had the gall to _criticize_ her for listening to other people, huh. And she had to put up with him every night. What an ass.

“ _You did **not** just defend her, did you?”_ The raspy voice in his head said. _“She has a million of those stupid ‘friends.’ She chose to have them. She bought it upon herself. She’s so haughty, you know. Bitch.”_

“...shut up...”

At that weak command, Loki fled, and Robin Hood took his place.

“ _I suppose she is special...but you are too.”_

“...that’s right.”

His two Personas alone drove him up the wall. How the hell did Akira deal with the dozens she controlled?

<"...You’re right, Morgana. I guess I’ll head in.">

The only thing that could be heard for a spell were the shuffling of clothes (prompting a peculiar heat to spread on Goro’s face) and some yawns between the two of them. Upon hearing her say good night, Goro hung his head and sighed. This first mission was a bust. But on the other hand, it was only the first day. There was always tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. After all, according to his research, the Phantom Thieves would all meet up in her room before performing capers in Mementos.

“Who knows what she’ll do tomorrow?” Goro mused to himself. “Heck, maybe even now she’s probably...”

He listened in to his phone for one last time, noting that the battery needed to be charged. As expected, he heard nothing but the turning of sheets and some strange noises from Akira: some sighs, a breathy little moan, and...was that a giggle? What was that all about?

He shrugged and hung up, turning in for the night.

 


	2. Day 2 and Day 3!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goro's surveillance of Akira Kurusu continues. Things get...weird.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains spoilers regarding the Temperance Cooperation Link.
> 
> It’s never stated what school Goro attends, not even in the artbook. Take his status as a Kosei student with a grain of salt. Both book and game state he’s a third-year, though.

 

Fortune had truly favored Goro Akechi over the past few days.

It was Day 2 of his surveillance of Akira Kurusu, and he needed to align their schedules so he could privately listen in on her without work getting in the way. He requested two weeks off from work in order to focus on school. Despite the panic over the Phantom Thieves, permission for the break was granted, and for the first time in a while, he could be a normal student. For breakfast he celebrated with an order of hot pancakes drowned in syrup and ice cream and a large serving of bubble tea (his fondness for both he swore to take to the grave) from the local family restaurant.  He took deliberate steps to not be recognized: he sported his freshly-cleaned Kosei blazer, he tied his hair into a demure pigtail, and he decided to take a page from his dear rival and plopped a pair of clunky glasses on his face.  For once, anonymity was a blessing.  With newfound resolve, he marched on to school -

“Akechi-kuuuuun!”

\- Fuck.  So much for anonymity.

“The Detective Prince actually came to school!? No way!”

“Oh, oh my God, I’m...I’m gonna faint...”

“Interrogate me, Akechi-kun! Interrogate me pleeeeeaaaaase!”

“ _...What the actual fuck!?”_

The sheer disgust on Goro’s face did nothing to deter the enthusiasm of the small legion of girls fawning and screaming over him. He gracefully leaped over Kosei’s fence and made a mad dash for the main building, knocking a completely hapless Yusuke Kitagawa into a nearby dumpster in the process.

 

 

* * *

 

 

After what felt like an eternity, school had ended for the day. Before anyone could blink, Goro ducked out of his classroom and burrowed like a ground hog across the building, desperately sniffing for the one other Kosei student Akira had been acquainted with. To his great misfortune, the student in question was showering in the gymnasium locker room, sobbing like an overweight house cat and lamenting his fate as an oh-so-tragic artist. The boy had given him the stiff before, thus Goro had to concede and abandon him, even if he did intend to spend time with Akira later on. Goro cursed, frustrated that she knew no one else -

“ _Wait...that’s not true...”_

The surveillance was paying off! The cat mentioned her being friends with the Shogi player – Hifumi Togo, he recalled. Very few Kosei students did not know about the beautiful green-eyed Shogi player. They were both celebrities, yet she did not know him personally. He had a chance! And as luck would have it, he could see her heading out…

“Excuse me? Would you happen to be Hifumi Togo?”

The girl in question spun around, and even Goro could see why other boys fell head over heels for her: ivory skin, straight hair the color of plums, a delicate, narrow face, dark green eyes, and a graceful, ladylike demeanor.

“ _Prim, proper, demure...t_ _ruly beautiful.”_

“ _She isn’t your type. You just won’t admit that to yourself.”_

Goro sighed. They only quarreled once and already he wanted to shoot himself in the head. “Togo-san?”

“Ah...I must be seeing things,” Hifumi said, her voice willowy and quiet. “If I didn’t know any better, you would be the teenage detective who’s always on TV. And you’re in our uniform too.”

“Guilty as charged,” he said with a laugh, laying on the flattery. “It’s hard to believe, but I’m a third-year here.  I have to do school work on my own time because of my job.”

She smiled. “I see. So why did you call for me, Akechi-senpai?”

No need to beat around the bush.  Goro went for the kill, laying his affably nerdy persona on thick.  “There’s a girl from Shujin High that I got acquainted with recently, and she mentioned knowing a Shogi player who attends this very school...her name’s Akira Kurusu. Do you know her?”

“Akira-chan?” Hifumi’s face lit up. “She's my best friend - my first real friend, really. We play Shogi at the church in Kanda sometimes.”

“That sounds wonderful,” said Goro, hiding his displeasure with a grin. “Do you hang out with her a lot?”

“I’d say we usually hang once a week. Why do you ask?”

“W-Well...” He fake-stammered, carefully picking words. “It’s just...I think I, um...I think I...Kurusu-san is an attractive-looking girl, don't you think....?"

Hifumi tilted her head.  "She is."

"What I'm saying is...I want to get to know her better," Goro sighed, playing up the bashfulness.  "I'd like to go out with her, but because of my job, I don’t have time to meet up with her.” He took a breath, twiddling his fingers. “But I got some time off to focus on my studies, so maybe...well, do you know what else she does during the week, Togo-san?”

“...The Detective Prince likes a girl, huh?” Hifumi giggled. “Who would have thought? But I suppose I can tell you. Akira-chan’s a busy bee.”

“Is that so?”

“She regularly hangs out with a big group of friends from her school, but when she isn’t doing that, she...hmm, sorry, it’s a lot to remember.”

“I understand.” Goro had to restrain his displeasure, hearing about her godawful _friends._

“We play Shogi every Monday night. On Saturday afternoons she works at the flower shop at Shibuya station, and every Friday, it’s at the coffee shop that she lives in. She goes out to eat almost every Saturday night at that weird bar, she sees friends or acquaintances either on Wednesday or on Sunday. Last week she volunteered for some politician’s rally. She exercises throughout the week, usually before school, or she's either making prints or sometimes goes fishing on Sunday, or...”

“How can she do that much!?” Goro shouted a little too loudly, and irritably at that.

“I’ve wondered that myself. I always assumed she was trying to peg a career, try things out, but her interest in all of those things is genuine. She’s pretty dedicated to all of them too. She’s still a rookie when it comes to Shogi, but I haven’t had fun playing the game with someone my age in a long time. I think it's because she listens to me.  She's the only one I've known who takes my passion for the game seriously. She seems like someone who enjoys listening to other people.”

“I...I see...”

Goro’s eyelid was twitching, and Loki stewed and bubbled like magma in his brain.

“ _What a self-important_ _ **bitch.**_ _She’s a criminal. She lives in a fucking attic. She thinks she’s_ _ **sooooo**_ _special with those fucking ‘friends’ of hers.  She’s just a stupid girl.”_

“I guess if you want to find Akira-chan, your best bet is near the end of the week.  She told me recently that aside from working at Cafe LeBlanc tomorrow, she was taking this upcoming weekend off.  She said she needed some rest. I guess if you want to approach her, you should do it then.”

“ _Wonderful!”_ Ever gallant Robin Hood usurped Loki completely. _“Maybe she’ll be making that delicious curry again? I wonder what we’ll talk about this time? This’ll be fun.”_

“ _Shut up, you homo,”_ Loki retorted.

“ _You’re a jerkface...”_ Robin Hood shot back.

“Ugh...”

“Are you all right, Senpai?” Hifumi asked with concern.

The dual voices within Goro had given him a migraine, and all he could do was nod back. Now wasn’t the time to lose composure. “Yeah, don’t worry about it. It’s just been a while since I actually sat in a classroom. I’m a bit stressed out right now.”

“Well, all I can tell you to do is drink a lot of tea and get some sleep,” Hifumi said with a smile. “Those of us who dedicate ourselves to something need to stay healthy, after all.”

“Thank you for the advice,” he responded, resisting the urge to lash out at her. “I better head home, then.” The public mask was back in full force, and the plastered smile was put in place. “In all seriousness, thank you for your help, Togo-san.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

“Good luck with your Shogi. Maybe I’ll see you again soon?”

“Perhaps. Get home safely, Senpai.”

She left with a wave, and he staggered behind her. He had managed to meander out of the chaotic grounds of Kosei High and into the subway where it was safer. At the end of the day, Goro knew he had to just stay up late and hopefully glean information from the bug, but Hifumi made it clear enough for him on how Akira Kurusu spent her time. Her friends congregated with her sometime during the middle or the end of the week, and during at least one of those two days, they’d have to plan a heist or something. And she’d be by her lonesome this upcoming weekend, which meant he could catch her alone, possibly planning something else…

“ _I wonder...maybe_ _she's going to betray the rest of her friends! I wouldn’t put it past her.  It's hard to tell what she's thinking sometimes.  That would be something!”_

“ _...Or she's probably just gonna do girly crap over the weekend. That’s possible too.”_

The speculation was killing him! He needed to head home right away!

 

 

* * *

 

 

Goro got back to his apartment in record time and called the number attached to the bug. Like before there was initially static, but after a few seconds, he could clearly hear sounds coming from her room.

<”...ey, why the long face?”>

Success! The voice that came first was unmistakably Ryuji Sakamoto’s. The Phantom Thieves had gathered! And now, Goro sat and waited…

<”Some asshole shoved me and I fell in a dumpster!”> Goro groaned – it was Yusuke. <”I still smell like a homeless person! Why do these things keep happening to me!?”>

<”Things?”> That light cadence came from Haru Okumura, the latest member to join the group.

<”Today was the dumpster, yesterday was the asshole patron who wanted to exploit me, and the day before I dropped all of the melon bread I purchased into a sewer!”> Goro cringed as Yusuke began to sniffle. <”I must be cursed or something!”>

<”Yusuke, _please_ stop doing that...”> That was Akira, and as her voice denoted exasperation, Goro felt some sympathy for her.

<”Stop doing what?”>

<”Gee, I dunno, why don’t you stop _flailing on the floor like a child!”_ >

Silence cut over the feed, and even from his apartment Goro could feel the shock that had settled in Akira’s bedroom.

<”...Oh...I see...”> A thoroughly embarrassed Yusuke picked himself up off the floor. <”...I’m sorry.”>

<”Wow...”> The next speaker was Futaba Sakura, and once again, Goro’s chest clenched. <”Remind me not to get on your bad side, Akira.”>

<”That was something,”> said Makoto Niijima.

<”What do you mean by that?”> Akira asked shyly.

<”I’ve only seen you cut loose in the other world, and it’s not quite the same as the anger you just showed us. I’m just surprised, that’s all.”>

A terse silence settled again. Had it not been for the pitter-patter of Morgana’s feet, Goro would have hung up the phone and called it a night. This was infuriating.

<”...In any case, let’s talk about the heist.”>

“Yes!” Goro pumped his arms again.

<”Who’s the target this time, Mona-chan?”>

<”A set of parents,”> said the cat. <”According to Akira’s intel, they have been exploiting her homeroom teacher for money for a long time.”>

<”Kawakami-sensei!?”> Ann Takamaki exclaimed in shock. <”So she's being taken advantage of too...why didn't you mention this before, Akira-chan?”>

<”Remember back when we took on Kamoshida, Ann-chan?  Remember how the whole school was in a furor over all of the accusations being pointed at him and all?  I didn't want the staff or the students making Kawakami-sensei's life a living hell.  She's suffering enough as it is.">  Goro could hear Akira shift in her seat.  <"I haven't said anything because I found out about Sensei's situation by complete accident.  The ones who had been giving her grief weren't staffers or students or another teacher, either...she deserves our help.  But with all of the requests we've been getting and that new service board, I thought that we ought to be more discreet when it comes to handling some cases.  Many of our clients deserve some extra privacy.  And of course, we need to be careful when doing research on our targets, too.  Heaven forbid we target the wrong person...">

Ann hummed in approval.  <"I do suppose you're right.  Given what's happened to us with some of the big targets, some discretion is a good idea.  I guess that's why you're our leader.">  She giggled, and Goro gagged.

<"Well, now that we got that out of the way, what's Kawakami-sensei's story?"> Ryuji asked.

<"Kawakami-sensei’s been working a second job to appease our targets.  They had a son, but he passed away a while ago. The parents blame Kawakami-sensei for pressuring him over his studies, but in truth, they're the catalyst for his death.”>

Goro could hear the darkness lingering in Akira’s voice. He had heard that same tone a number of times before, whenever she noted someone being wronged in some way. It was resolute, and far bolder than he imagined, especially from a girl close to his age.

<”I managed to meet the parents, and they're as awful as you can imagine. They’ve gambled away everything and accumulated debt to the point that their son had to work it off. He became so ill that one day he wandered listlessly into traffic and was killed by an incoming car. Instead of taking responsibility, they pushed the blame on Sensei and began exploiting _her._ She tutored their son because he was behind on his schoolwork, so naturally, her presence in his life was convenient for them.”>

<”That’s unbelievable...”> There was Ryuji again. <”This whole time I just thought Kawakami-sensei was no different from the other teachers...you know, ever since we started doing this, I’ve been looking at everyone in this city differently. Everybody really does have some kind of baggage. Sensei’s no different, I guess.”>

That was...oddly profound. Especially coming from Sakamoto.

<”It’s true, Ryuji,”> said Akira. <”It’s not just you guys, it’s most of the people who’ve been helping us out. There’s so much to people. Many of those people are also suffering, and their tormentors get away with it.”>

<”That’s what the Phantom Thieves are for!”> Morgana exclaimed with righteous fury. <”Because in a place like Tokyo, the powerful can get away with anything...”>

“The powerful...”

Loathe he was to admit it, Goro did agree with the cat’s stance. People of power abusing those below them was a global pandemic, but it stuck out in their own country. The gentleman Goro was serving had the country on a platter, and he gained it the second he wormed his way into the Diet. His abuse had been constant. The things the man got away with had been sickening.

This was the same man Goro had long yearned to call “father.” To gain acceptance as that man’s son, to be loved by all, and to punish the deferential Tokyoites – those were why he opposed the Phantom Thieves. They would take themselves up to task to reform people like these parents, but to what end? The combined metropolis of Tokyo held 37 million people alone. A ragtag team of teenagers with attitude (hehehe…) can only impact so many within the city, let alone the world.  Just targeting others willy-nilly wasn’t enough.  To get the core out of an apple, you had to scoop it out completely and toss it.  More than that, their reformations were by force.  Had they not intervened on a supernatural level, then Kamoshida would've been more than willing to keep molesting his female students, and Madarame would keep on profiting off of other peoples' works.  They were too far gone to even consider having a change of heart of their own accord.  

(Not that it stopped him from hoping that  _he_ could change.  Night after night, Goro would picture  _him_ patting him on the head, claiming him to be his pride and joy...)

Goro's drive to seek out truth served as the catalyst that spurred Robin Hood’s birth within Goro’s psyche. Personas reflected the innermost thoughts of their wielders. Robin Hood was _the_ archetypal chaotic good hero, robbing the rich and giving to the downtrodden, spending his days fighting the corrupt. Goro realized that he reflected Robin Hood’s noble traits on _some_ level…

It wasn’t enough to dispel the lies and anger that birthed Loki, however. Justice was an illusion, no matter how much he wanted to believe it.

<”Well, we know our target. These two’ll be our only ones for today, so let’s be sure to do some serious treasure hunting too.”> Morgana spoke again.

<”Let’s head out everyone!”>

At Akira’s command, Goro could hear the warping of space-time that came with activating the Metaverse app. With the silence that fell over the room, Goro hung up with a huff. Their targets served no threat to his boss.

“Nothing to do but homework...”

It had been ages since homework was his biggest worry. The notion was refreshing, at least.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The hour had grown late when he called the bug again, and once again, his timing was perfect. An exhausted Akira and a feisty Morgana were all he could hear. Goro fished out his notebook and began to jot. There wasn’t much to write right now aside from the days and times they met.

<”You gonna give Kawakami the news tomorrow?”>

<”Yeah. I’ll probably phone her in after school...”>

<”This is great! I can’t wait.”> The sound of jumping and nestling. <”Good night, Akira.”>

<”Good night, Morgana...”>

The sound of yawning, the ruffling of sheets, the squeaking of mattress springs. Akira had fallen asleep, and Goro sighed. Today had been completely fruitless…

<”...mmnh...”>

Huh?

<”….ah...”>

Was she sick? Was she in pain? She sounded more tired than usual. They had been in Mementos for a long time. But he could hear her shifting in her sleep, so how could she -

<”Ah...ah…!”>

Her breathing became labored and hitched, tapering with a staggering gasp. She shifted once again, seemingly on her back, and he could hear something soft slipping, something rapid and _wet -_

\- Wait a minute…

<”Mmmnh! Ah...”>

Her moans grew louder, her breath more labored. Goro’s body set itself ablaze when he realized _why_ she was moaning.

“Oh my God...”

Is...is _that_ really what she was doing!?

Goro’s face went completely hot, overwhelmed with embarrassment. He hung up and shuddered, grabbing his things and crawling to his bedroom in shame.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The next day came and went, and the sheer embarrassment crawled over Goro’s skin like a bug. His day at school passed without incident, and he stopped by at LeBlanc when he grew hungry. He wearily greeted Sojiro and ordered some curry, trying to calm himself after last night’s debacle.

“Akechi?”

Speak of the devil.

“Your curry’s ready.”

He hesitantly looked up and nearly recoiled at the sight of the girl he heard _masturbating_ last night, and he gawked internally for thinking that. There was Akira Kurusu, donned in an apron, serving a hot plate of curry and rice with a sunny smile. So daunted he was by the visual that he pictured her wearing _nothing_ but said apron and her cheeks pink with arousal, tempting him with her _body_ and _“why the fuck am I imagining my nemesis naked!?”_

“Ah...t-thank you...Kurusu...”

He could feel his face twist in an awkward, lopsided half-smile as he began to dig in. It was delicious, more so than usual. He composed himself as much as he could and attempted to make small talk - which was shockingly easy to do when it was with Akira. “This tastes different. Did the master change the recipe?”

“Actually,” she said with some humility, “I cooked today’s batch. I modified the recipe a little.”

“It’s...richer than usual. A little less spicy too. I actually like that.”

“That’s wonderful,” she said, sighing in relief. “I was afraid I messed it up.”

“Well,” he said – his lips turned up naturally, his smile out of his control - “Even when you've made it the regular way, it was still delicious.  You're a really good cook.  Honestly, I wish you and the Master made more kinds of food.”

“Oh ho,” Akira teased, eyes lighting up. “You’ve surprised me again, Goro Akechi.”

“H-Huh!?”

“Here I was assuming you were gonna say -” She hunched her back and lowered the pitch of her voice - “‘you’ll make a great wife someday.’ I swear, if I hear another old fart tell me that, I’ll rip every hair out of my head.”

“W-Well...” Goro sighed, taken aback by her words. “They don’t mean anything nasty by that. It’s just what they’ve been bought up to believe.” Before he knew it, words began flowing from his mouth, the source seemingly from a heart he didn’t believe existed anymore. “Should you run a cafe like this one someday, all your patrons are gonna be happy. Should you marry and be the one doing the cooking, your husband’s gonna be happy.” He wiped his mouth and chuckled. “The point is this curry’s delicious.”

“...You think so?” She asked quietly – and unexpectedly, for Goro.

“Take it from someone who’s already a cog in the machine. I can assure you that one of the finest pleasures in life after a long day at work is a home cooked meal, especially if you’re a guy.” He smiled – again, out of his control. “We’re simpler than you think, you know.”

Akira pouted. “Oh sure, _you_ may be simple, but there are men out there like Yusuke...and simple they ain't.”

“Yusuke?”  Goro giggled quietly, remembering what he had done to the boy the day before.  "He's the painter, right?"

“That's right. Yusuke is a man who struts around like a peacock, the man who finds all of life’s beauty in a piece of dog poo, the man who _stole_ a _gallon_ of _whole milk_ from this very kitchen and _drank it all in one_ sitting...no, Yusuke's not your average man.  He's a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, smothered with contradictions and paradoxes, locked in a Chinese box.  What his pleasures in life are...confuse the shit out of me sometimes.”

Akira was steaming like a kettle, and Goro’s eyes were wide. “Did you just say he stole a gallon of milk?”

“The whole gallon, meant for the coffee, all in his stomach. Apparently, he wasn’t bright enough to deduce that he threw up because he did that, but if someone fried a boot and gave it to him for free, he’d eat it.” She tilted her head and sardonically grinned at Goro. “Now pray tell, Detective Prince, is _he_ what a man truly is? Is he truly so simple in his musings on beauty, his skills, his looks…?”

“Well...” Goro involuntarily giggled. “...He still likes to eat, right?”

“Dammit! You’re right,” Akira exclaimed. “B-But you said it yourself! He’ll eat anything, period! I’m scared that one day he’ll become desperate enough to resort to cannibalism!”

Goro giggled, snorting as he did. “I think what we’re getting at is that one of the finest pleasures in life for a man is a thoroughly simple one: really good food.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Akira agreed with a sigh. “But what about sweets? I see men pop in here all the time and order one of the few frou-frou drinks the master can make, and they look so...nervous. Like they’re about to rob a bank and they’re afraid of messing it up. It’s a stupid drink. I mean, you like pancakes, don’t you?”

“I do like pancakes,” Goro replied – opting to ignore the slight yet present alarm that went off in the very back of his head.

“That doesn’t make you any less of a man, now does it? Food is food. We ought to enjoy it.” Akira nodded in satisfaction, noting the empty coffee cup by Goro’s hand. “Do you want another cup?”

“Actually,” Goro said softly, licking his lips; the inside of his mouth had grown dry. “You wouldn’t happen to serve ice coffee, would you?”

“We do, but I haven’t seen any pre-made batches in the fridge...”

As she pondered, Goro's eyes glued onto her. Her arms were crossed, and he could see a stray strand of her black hair fall from the top of her head. It was her nose that entranced him the most, however: it wriggled and twitched like a rabbit’s. She looked equal parts macho and girly all at once, and it was strangely charming.

“ _...charming?”_

“Oh, what the hell. I’ll make my own. Can you wait a few minutes, Akechi?”

“Sure thing.” 

Realization struck him once more as he saw her squat down by the ice machine: he was fixating on her again. The master had left to run an errand, leaving the two of them alone, and he found himself ensnared by her, just like the day she had met him. The strange breathlessness writhed in his lungs, twisting and puckering as they bantered. It was strange, and yet it felt...pleasant.

“ _...What the heck is wrong with me?”_

“Oh, crap...”

He saw Akira bend over to clean up some ice that slipped out of the machine, and caught an eyeful of her plump bottom, clad in a tight pair of jeans. His eyes had fixed themselves onto it, and the blood on Goro’s face began to boil.

“ _...Oh wow...”_

Before he could blink, a set of red-colored elastic strings poked out from her jeans, onto her hip. His eyes bugged completely as they pulled up a piece of cloth, the same shade of red with tiny white polka dots -

“ _She’s wearing a thong.”_

He had seen them at the TV studio, worn by idols participating in a modeling show that aired on the same network that hosted his interviews. Thongs were risque little things, a scrap of cloth held up by a string or two – a sharp contrast to seemingly “wholesome” panties. And here was Akira Kurusu, leader of the Phantom Thieves, Persona user extraordinaire...wearing a cute little thong, beneath a tight pair of jeans.

Red. Two strings. With little white polka dots.

“ _She’s wearing a thong.”_

Goro’s face steamed like a kettle, red and blazing hot. His mind gave way to his hormones: In his mind was Akira, trembling yet coy, dressed as his beautiful secretary, bent over his knees, hands bound by cuffs.  Her short, _short_ skirt was hitched to her waist, exposing that polka-dotted thong and the soft, jiggling  _milky white ass_ it clung on to the world.  And there was he, clad in a dark suit instead of his usual jacket, and he had a paddle in his hand, and _“Wait, WHAT!?”_

“Hey, Akechi, do you want milk or...sugar...”

Akira had emerged from below, a metal cup full of iced coffee in hand, only to be greeted with the sight of Goro’s attache case. The boy himself was gone.

“He ran into the bathroom, in case you’re wandering,” Morgana said with a snicker, smirking. “His face was all red...eheheheheh…”

“Really now,” Akira sighed. “Too much cayenne pepper in the curry, maybe?”

“I don’t think that’s the reason why he’s in there...” Morgana muttered to himself, chuckling again.

 

 

* * *

 

 

He had spent more money than he had intended at LeBlanc tonight, and it was all due to that damned Akira Kurusu. Not even a lengthy subway ride back to the apartment and the idle, G-rated chatter between her and Morgana could calm his nerves. The heat on his face subsided, but the fierce pounding of his heart refused to stop.

“Dammit dammit dammit dammit _dammit...”_

He damned his teenaged self for nearly giving in to temptation, for harboring abhorrent fantasies of a girl he was terribly jealous of. He was better than this! He could control himself – ought to control himself. He cranked his head and huffed, crouching in wait as Morgana and Akira’s conversation continued.

He waited.

And waited.

And...oh, hell. They clearly weren’t talking about anything important tonight.

Goro came to realize then and there that it would be a bit strange if Akira thought of her heists and their machinations twenty-four-seven like he did his schemes to humiliate his father. She and the other thieves were students first and foremost, after all, whereas he had a career to look after.

On the other hand, the need to pleasure oneself every night apparently  _wasn’t_ so strange. Goro felt himself grow warm when the sound of Akira’s hitched breaths permeated over his phone.

<”Nnnh….ah….”>

She shifts in her bed again and sighs. He waits. And sure enough, she began to pant.  The wetness from the lips below were thoroughly audible; the noises were steady, akin to a march. Even those lacking in imagination could tell that she wasn’t just _stroking_ herself. No, Goro could vividly picture her fingers pumping to and fro within her core, with a thumb rubbing a swollen clitoris. Why, judging by the soft, mumbling moans that crossed with her breaths, her free hand was likely playing with one of her breasts.

<”Ah! Ahhh….”>

Definitely more adventurous than yesterday. More shameless too.

<”Mnnnh!”>

The bed bounced, and he heard something... _wet_.

“Oh, fuck...”

Goro found himself whispering the phrase as her pained moans swung through the air. He felt his brain sink into auto-pilot, running on heat, letting his left hand slide to and fro between his legs.

<”Ooohhh….”>

“ _I should have gotten a video camera...fuck...”_

He wanted to see it _so badly._ He wanted to see his nemesis touching herself, shamelessly begging for reprieve, drowning in the throws of lust. He could see her ebon curls wildly splayed beneath her as her head shook, tongue poking from pink lips, milky skin bared and flush. He could see that the curls that graced her nether lips were as dark as the ones on her head, and they became slick as her hips shook and gyrated, performing a mimicry of intercourse. Deft fingers touched and thrust on glistening, pinkish petals that grew wetter and wetter, and she cried out with joy as a small jet of liquid burst from within, staining the bed sheets beneath.

His thoughts had clearly aligned with her actions, for he heard ragged breaths follow a soft, high-pitched squeak.

Goro bit his lip.

“ _I need to stop...”_

He hung up the phone, far more ashamed than the night before. A cold shower ought to help him get to sleep. He’d be clean for the morning, and the water would kill the bulge that had swollen between his legs… 


	3. Day 4!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goro's surveillance of Akira Kurusu takes a turn for the extreme, causing him to experience one of his most intense and unexpected fantasies yet. What could it all mean?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a while to churn out because I made a few different scenarios, and I did not care for how they wound up. This one probably escalates a little too quickly, but I think I can build on this a bit more...in any case, I wanted to get it out before the worldwide release, but alas...
> 
> Note that some of the fantasies that Goro indulges in are lusty as heck and kind of intense. Reader discretion is advised.

Goro Akechi was only four days into his investigation of Akira Kurusu, and mentally, he was spent. Not even all-night binges on actual detective work could tire him out like this - that damned girl was driving him mad. He showered himself with icy water before bed, and he was showering cold again. The water couldn’t kill his erection then, and it was only marginally working now. He was half-flaccid, and he could hear Loki and Robin Hood teasing him (albeit for different reasons) inside his head.

“Ugggh...and the worst part is...” He moaned, pounding his fists against the tiled wall. “I bought all of this on myself! Fuck! Fuck! Fuckfuckfuckfuck _fuck!”_

Wet arms slid against the wall and slumped onto the floor with the rest of his body. Goro groaned in agony, completely unable to drown out the moans and sighs of delight that Akira sang over his phone last night. How dare she tempt him like this! How dare she flaunt that body of hers! How dare she stand there in his shower, washing herself, humming a tune, squealing with glee as he slammed her body against the wall and -

“Huh!?”

Goro whipped his head around in a panic. All he saw was a bottle of shampoo, sitting there, mocking him. The bottle was the same color as her hair, an inky black. He could have sworn that the _bottle itself_ was giggling like she was. Goro screamed, yanking at strands upon strands of hair as he did.

 “GET OUT OF MY FUCKING HEAD!”

 

* * *

 

 

Another day of school passed by for Goro. When he left his classroom he saw Yusuke Kitagawa texting, noting the resigned look on his face. Now _this_ was quite suspicious. The sole lead he had for today was that it was a Wednesday, which meant that he was likely meeting up with the rest of the thieves. They had made it to the train station when a red flag arose: Yusuke grimaced at his lack of money for the train.

“Guess I have to walk again...I wish Yongenjaya wasn’t so far away...”

“ _...Walk!?”_

Kosei was in the westernmost part of Shinjuku. Goro could theoretically walk himself to school if he got up early enough, but the train was still the most efficient way to get there. So how the hell could Yusuke even fathom walking all the way to Yongenjaya!?

“You stupid penniless artist...get a fucking job so you can ride the train, asshole!” Goro growled in frustration. He hid behind a bush when he saw Yusuke put his phone to his ear – huh, he was taking a call. That was rare.

“...Yes, I’m on my way now. But I’m going to be walking, I have no train fare. Don’t expect me to show up anytime soon, okay?  I apologize in advance, Akira.”

Goro’s brows raised up as Yusuke slumped over. “You said the clinic wasn’t too far from LeBlanc, right? Don’t worry, I’ll be okay when I get there...no, I don’t have money for the co-pay...look, I know Madarame gave me health insurance when he raised me, but I don’t even know if...”

“ _Ah, it looks like they’re getting checkups,”_ Goro thought to himself as he headed for the train station. _“And wherever they’re headed is near the cafe too. Easy peasy.”_ He quickly searched for any doctors’ offices near LeBlanc, with the sole result being one Takemi Medical Clinic. With his destination in mind, Goro smirked. Sure, it was an innocent visit to the doctor’s, but who knew what else would transpire?

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Mmmmnh...Akira-chan, why did you call _everyone_ over for a checkup…?”

“I thought it would be a good idea, Futaba. We could all use one. By the way, Sojiro told me to tell you he’s very proud of you for starting to exercise. You’re eating way less processed food too, aren’t you?”

“Nnnh...”

“...Which might be why your symptoms are acting up. But it’s for the best, Futaba, I promise.”

“It hurts, Akira. It really, really hurts...”

“I know it does. Takemi-sensei’s gonna get you the meds you need for your PMDD. Hopefully she can find something that can make your period flow less heavy too. Those super-thick tampons can only last so long.”

“This’s never happened before. It used to be super-light. In fact, I can’t even remember when I first got my period...but now I get all these nasty red globby things in my underwear! My sheets are wrecked! It looks like somebody committed a murder in my bed!"

“I know the feeling. I got mine on a car ride home. I was...twelve, I think? In any case, I was playing video games and I saw the stain, and hooo boy, did I freak out.  I knew about the whole concept of the period beforehand, but I couldn't help it. My mom wasn’t any help in dealing with it either. I did the research, got a good feel for it...it got really heavy and gross around last year, and that’s when I started taking the birth control pills. Now my period’s nice and light and my cramps are few and far in between.”

“Wow, seriously? I didn’t know they could do that.”

“Lifestyle changes, like the pill, affect your period – sometimes drastically so. I’m sure you knew that though. You’re always on the computer and all.”

“Yeah, I read up on all the symptoms. I’d get the bad cramps every now and then, but I couldn’t tell Sojiro that. I’d get too embarrassed...”

“I understand completely. Still, at least _he_ understands that a woman’s reproductive system requires delicacy and care when needing to be dealt with...hell, I appreciate that he at least _knows_ the basics behind it. I wish I can say the same about _my_ father...or my mother, for that matter...”

“Were they like those super-religious people on those American TV shows? The ones who go all ‘You’re sinful because you’re bleeding! Don’t question it, it’s God’s will because Eve did - did the thing....’ or Adam did the thing, or...ah, I don’t remember. Uh...do you understand my question?”

“Hahah...oh, Futaba, you hit the nail right on the head. My mother didn’t even realize how reproduction worked until after she gave birth to me...”

“That’s...not possible.”

“It is...oh, the other girls are here. Perfect.”

The ladies of the Phantom Thieves miraculously did not hear Goro audibly groan from behind the slew of bikes and construction stands that he was hiding behind. He came to infer on a potential heist, and what he got was more information than he would _ever_ want to know about periods. The image of menstrual blood globs galore permeated his head, and he gagged. He didn’t come all the way out here for this!

“Hey everyone!” Ann Takamaki greeted Akira and Futaba with a wave. “Have the boys shown up yet?”

“Nope, we’re still waiting on them.”

“Well, since it’s just us girls, why don’t we all get checked up first?” Makoto Niijima inquired. “I’m sure they won’t mind.”

Before the girls could enter the clinic, the owner of the clinic herself, Tae Takemi, emerged from within – and, unexpectedly, came out with a massive wrap around her chest with a squirming bundle inside. It didn’t take much to deduct that she was carrying a baby in her arms, and with a wrap that size covering her, she was probably breastfeeding it. Even with the discretion she was practicing, Goro couldn’t help but blush at the sight.

“Takemi-sensei!” Akira exclaimed. “We were just about to drop in, and...oh, wow.”

“Surprised?” The punkish-looking doctor replied. “To answer your question, no, this baby isn’t mine; she’s my niece. My sister had an emergency and I’m looking after her tonight and tomorrow.”

“I see...but Sensei, you don’t have any children of your own, right?” Tae nodded. “So...er, not to be rude or anything, but how are you...”

“With the right combination of medication and hormones, even a woman who’s never been pregnant can breastfeed a baby,” Tae replied with a gentle smile. “There are also many kinds of devices and methods to get milk flowing without drugs. Don’t you recall that, across history, wet-nursing was what was done for the children of nobility? They _had_ to find a way to nurse somehow.”

“And I take it that you crafted your own drug in order to feed your niece?” Akira inquired, eyes wide with amazement.

“It isn’t my specialty, but I had the extra money, and...well, I love my sister, and I love my little niece,” Tae said with a blush. “I could have fed her formula, but she’s only four weeks old. Skin-to-skin contact between mother and child is extremely important for both of their well-being. And let us not forget that nutrients straight from the breast exceed that of any formula.” She gazed down at the little baby and smiled in satisfaction. “Motherhood isn’t exactly in the cards for me, but this is quite an experience, let me tell you. I’d like to put my drug on the market soon.”

“Akira-chan was right,” Ann said in awe. “You’re like...the ideal doctor.”

“Really now,” said Tae, sincerely flattered. “Is _that_ what you’ve been telling them, Kurusu-san?”

“Ehehe….”

The entire scene was one of the most bizarre things Goro had witnessed lately, that was for sure. More than that, though, a hodgepodge of feelings that he couldn’t fully describe welled up in his chest. The whole image of motherhood and bonding made him think of his own mother, who hated him and loved him at the same time. He could barely recall being cuddled in his mother’s embrace – that little baby sure looked comfortable and happy suckling her surrogate mother’s breast. Even with the conflicted feelings he held for his own mother, it was still a nice sight to see. Pleasant too. That little baby was lapping up milk like an animal.

What _did_ breast milk taste like anyway?

“ _YOU WILL CEASE THAT THOUGHT AT ONCE.”_

“Oh, dear...” Goro’s head shot up when the doctor spoke again. “I have to get some things from my car. I’m so sorry to have to do this, but can one of you girls hold my niece until I get back? I promise I won’t take long.”

“I’ll hold her,” Akira said without hesitation, in contrast to her more nervous teammates. “Don’t worry, I know how.”

“Oh good. Here, be gentle now.” Takemi was able to get her niece to unlatch and, with utmost care, hand her over to Akira. The raven-haired girl gently scooped the baby girl in her arms, one hand under the head, the other arm wrapping around and hoisting her from behind. Everyone could see the baby more clearly now: a wee-sized thing with hair a similar color to Tae’s, and she was swaddled in a little pink blanket. Tae covered her exposed breast and let the nursing cover drop, smiling as she stepped away, leaving the girls to coo over the baby.

“She’s so little!” Haru whispered in awe. “Look at her sleep...she looks so peaceful.”

“She’s absolutely adorable,” said Ann. “I definitely want kids in the future for sure, seeing you two like this.”

“Wow, you’ve already decided?” said Makoto. “Raising children is a massive responsibility, you know. You can’t take it lightly.”

“Yeah,” Futaba agreed. “Seriously, look at _my_ mom. She milked some random man’s cock and popped me out nine months later on a whim. I mean, she pulled it off somehow, but she had to work all the time to support me...I can’t imagine how stressed she must have been.” She grimaced. “And while _she_ made it work at the end of the day, there are a kajillion parents out there that fart out babies and fuck it up because they didn’t think it through. And it ain’t just the mom, the dad can fuck up royally too.”

Goro sagely nodded his head, for he knew that notion all too well...

“That’s true...” Haru said sadly. “If I want to try and inherit Okumura Foods for myself, then I have to hold off having children. The men who have shares, the management, those men’ll try and drive me away if I become a mother.” She covered her face. “Of course, my prospective fiance and my father’s treatment of the women who work for him makes motherhood extremely unappealing anyway...”

“Yeah, me too,” said Makoto. “I don’t like how often my sister works, but she’s sacrificed so much for me. And if I want to be a police officer like my father, well...” She shrugged. “I don’t know a thing about romance anyway. I think I’d be all right if I wound up child-free.”

“Yeah, me too,” said Futaba. “I’m not brave like my mom was. I’m okay with that. Besides, what if I did get pregnant and have a potato-head baby?”

“Potato-head baby?”

“A retard.”

“Futaba-chan, that’s not very nice...” Ann sighed with a frown.

“Okay, do _you_ want a potato-head baby, Ann?”

“Well, no...”

“Shhh...” Akira shushed the other girls. “Keep your voices down. I think she might wake up.”

“Sorry, sorry...”

Goro remained silent as the girls conversed, digesting their words and pondering about the nature of motherhood. He was now ashamed that, for years, he held on to the notion that women were predestined for the kitchen for many reasons: societal biases such as alleged lack of intelligence and the cold, hard fact that their bodies were built for child-rearing. There was also his mother and her weakness, and the many foster mothers who treated him poorly either out of spite or because their husbands willed it. As time went by Goro realized that that notion was false on multiple levels. His biases were from his own personal experiences, combined with the fact that, on multiple levels, the cards were stacked against women: the grueling nature of how their bodies worked, or what society and other men demanded of them. His mother was weak, but her situation left her at a loss. As the mother, _she_ was the one responsible for him, and not that piece of shit who fathered him. As the mother, _only she_ could possibly screw him up – never mind that, last time he checked, it took two to make and break a baby. As the mother, _everything_ would be her fault: if he were to behave improperly, if she had to go back to work and let him be, if he had strange hobbies...

“ _Now that I think about it, I don’t know what happened to Mother before she got pregnant with me...”_

“Mmmnh...mmmnh...”

He whipped his head around and saw Akira trying to rock the baby in her arms. Heaven help her, she tried, but the baby’s distress was about to tip over.

“Ohh, this is bad,” Futaba sighed. “This is baaaad. What’s wrong?”

“I don’t smell anything, so her diaper’s probably dry,” said Makoto, keeping calm. “She might just be hungry again. Takemi-sensei did say she was only a few weeks old. I remember from biology class that infants spend a lot of their early months rotating between eating for hours and sleeping for days.”

“And lest we forget,” Haru added. “That baby’s been fed by both her mother, and by Takemi-sensei herself. She’s probably distressed because she’s being held by a stranger.”

Both girls were on target: as if she had heard them, the little baby wormed her face onto Akira’s chest, desperately trying to latch on to a nipple. Akira blushed, nervously giggling and visibly panicking.

“Ahaha...I'm  _so_ sorry love, but this milk bar isn't open for business...”

“Mmmmnh! Weeeh….”

“Oh, dammit...” Akira cursed, realizing that nothing would get the baby to relax. “What do I...”

“Ohhhhh, no, I can’t cope with this,” Futaba whined. “Can’t she eat anything else!? Can’t you stick something in her mouth, for like two seconds!?”

“Stick something...of course!”

Thankfully for the five ladies, nary a soul (bar Goro) was in sight to witness Akira’s next move: to get the baby to calm down, Akira deftly tugged down the off-the-shoulder sweater she had been wearing, and following that, her bra. Before Goro’s eyes appeared a pair of delicate, rounded breasts, pale and soft and capped with pink nipples that grew erect from the cold night air. The flow of blood that rushed at mach five from head to groin (and out his nose) sped further when he noticed that the right nipple was _pierced –_ pierced with a _ring._ And as he suspected, Akira took the baby to her left breast and let her latch on to calm her down. Despite her lack of milk, the motion was soothing and tender enough for the baby to relax, and Akira sighed in relief.

“Phew...there, there...” She gazed down at the wee baby and smiled, her heart fluttering and basking in warmth. “Ehehehe…shoot. Now I kinda wish I could actually feed her...”

“Dayum,” said Futaba in awe. “You still amaze me, Leader. Lookit her suck!”

“Well, that’s all well and good,” Ann said haltingly. “But Akira-chan...I have to ask...” She pointed at the glimmering nipple ring that was on her free breast; it was a delicate, shiny ring made from rose gold. “What is up with _that!?”_

“Uhm...” Akira sighed, awkward smile on her face. “...Think of it as a rebel thing. Like, the _safe_ rebel thing, because it isn’t like a tattoo. I can take it off anytime. Can’t do that with a tattoo.”

“Rebel?” Makoto inquired, blushing at the sight of it. “Is _that_ the fruit born from your rebellion toward your parents?”

“In a way, yes,” Akira replied. “I’ve had it for two years or so. I wanted a tattoo since I had lived overseas for a while, but when we moved here, I realized that any kind of tattoo would be a no-no. So I went with the next best thing.” She hoisted the baby up more, wincing as she suckled harder. “I take it out when I take a bath or when I go out somewhere fancy.”

“So you’ve been wearing it to school this whole time!?” Haru exclaimed, also blushing. “That’s a bold move...”

“Hey, no one else can see it, can they?” Akira made a toothy grin. “And besides, I think it’s a little sexy...can you imagine the fun you can have with your lover when you show them this? I know I can.”

“Random note for you all,” Futaba said bluntly. “You may dump on the guys all you want, but our leader is the Almighty Empress of Filthy Perversion. May she reign forever and ever.”

“ _Empress is right,”_ Goro thought to himself; he gave in to his lust, letting the blood from his nose flow freely. _“Absolutely everything Kurusu’s doing is...is…!”_

...Wonderfully, deliciously perverted, erotic, _fucking sexy_ and _beautiful._ A simulation of motherhood on one naked breast; a sensual toy for stimulation on another, both round and pale and pink and full and attached to a beautiful, wicked, intelligent girl he despised and cherished all at once…

“ _You are giving in to your base urges!? I am disappointed in you, Master! You would go so low as to defile and pervert that sweet, innocent girl’s image...”_

“ _You’re ignoring our glorious mission so you can swap gravy with this piece of garbage whore!? I’m disappointed, Master! Besides...she isn’t kinky enough.”_

“ _Shut up and die, both of you.”_ Goro was growling, knocking away Robin Hood and Loki. The visages of his annoying Personas gave way to Akira’s, and damn him for being in public, letting his arousal get the better of him. There was no denying his perversions this time: he saw her, trembling and flush in the nude, smiling and blushing as she played with her pretty pink nipples. They were rounded and full, ripe like fruit and ready to _feed_ something – ah, there it was. The rest of her body was curvaceous and just as round, hardened with some muscle but soft in all the right places. In a futile effort to stave off the copious amount of blood spilling from his nose, Goro laid his palms on it, softly humming as the lust kept on building, fixing his gaze on the girl as discreetly as he could...

“Weeeeh!”

Oh, no...please don’t cry, love...” Akira sighed. The baby had finally come to realize that her provider had no milk to offer and cried. Akira’s gentle embrace could only calm her somewhat; she still needed to eat, and she needed to _now._ She had grown weary from standing for so long and sat on the clinic stoop -

\- only to come face-to-face with a grinning Morgana, whose head had been poking out of her bag the _entire time._ And it was not just any grin either: it was a lewd, gross, eye-squinting, toothy grin, the kind of grin that Kamoshida's Shadow would make. Needless to say, the second their eyes met, Morgana screeched in fear and Akira had gone from tender to angry in seconds.

“Morgana...” She hissed, shaking in anger. “Were you _watching_ me this whole time…? Were you getting some kind of _sick kicks_ off of my boobs…?”

“Ah, ah, I...” Morgana squeaked. “B-B-But you s-s-said that f-f-feeding a baby with...with... _b-b-b-b-boobies_ is n-normal and b-b-beautiful...”

“Then why the hell were you grinning like that!?” Ann shouted, yanking Morgana by the scruff out of the bag. “And here I was thinking you were a _gentleman!”_

“O-Oh, but I _am_ a gentleman, Lady Ann!” Morgana whined desperately, frantically waving his paws. “It, it’s just...i-i-it’s just...nyaaaaah….”

“It’s just _what_ , Morgana?” Makoto growled.

“It’s just...I’m, I’m a _boy..._ I think...” He mewled, calming down. “Y-Yeah, I’m a boy! A _man!_ And, uh, you know...y’know how we _manly menfolk,_ we’re disgustoids. We can’t exactly...uh...help ourselves...in the presence of...of a...pretty girl...”

It was good for poor Morgana that they were not in the other world at the moment, for he cried in agony at the sheer power of the girls’ destructive auras. Had their strong-willed leader not raised a hand to calm them, Morgana would have been rendered into road kill. “No need for that, ladies,” she said in an icy tone. “Morgana is a valuable asset to our team, remember? It would be a shame if you all killed him here...”

“Akira!” Morgana cried in joy, big globules of tears flying off his face. “You’re an angel sent from above! Sweet, sweet Lady Akira...”

“...No, death is too good for him.”

“Eh?”

“Morgana simply needs to learn his lesson,” said Akira, a wicked gleam glimmering in her eye. “That’s why he’s going back into the punishment box for tonight.”

The scream of agony that Morgana screamed could have shattered windows had he not been the creature he was. He frantically struggled to get out of Ann’s grip, but to no avail. “NO! NOT THE PUNISHMENT BOX! NOT THE PUNISHMENT BOOOX!”

The poor kitty’s struggle must have held some pleasure for the baby, for she was able to ignore her hunger and fixate on Morgana’s agony. As she was only a few weeks old she could not laugh, but she _was_ able to muster a smile. Akira’s face lit up at the sight.

“Ann-chan, keep torturing Morgana,” she said happily, pulling up her bra and sweater. “I think she likes that!”

“Mhmhmhm!” Ann chuckled. “Y’know, Morgana, I’ve got something extra special planned for the box tonight...it’s brand new, never-been-seen, and absolutely _adorable...”_

“NOOOOOOO!”

As for Goro - _“Stupid fucking cat, disgracing the name of men everywhere like that...” -_ he quietly groaned, completely overwhelmed at the sight of the leader of the Phantom Thieves laughing with the babe in her arms. And to think, she could swiftly strike with the knife, fight off Shadows with hundreds of Personas at her disposal, command a small team of hormonal teenagers through the perilous paths of the other world…it made the nude visage of her in his head a hundred times more erotic. He felt his skin boiling alive as he saw the Akira in his head reach out to someone – to _him –_ and grasp _something hot,_ and it was only then that he noticed that it wasn’t just the breasts that were round and prominent, but the _belly_ as well – the belly that had suddenly become heavy and stretched and what had happened to her navel, it looked like it was -

Oh.

**Oh.**

**OH.**

“ _ **OH MY GOD, NO.”**_

Like a pipe bursting, a geyser of blood gushed from Goro’s nose. One of the cruelest images that could have ever entered his line of sight – him and Akira, blissfully laughing together, him smiling and kissing her from behind, laying his hands on her pregnant belly – was the last thing he saw before passing out.

Tae struggled to hop over the assorted street debris in her platform heels, cursing at herself for it. She only stopped herself when she noticed poor Goro’s corpse lying next to a pile of cones, drowning in his own blood and choking. Her eyes widened at his face, which she could only describe as some kind of mixture between _“I am so fucking horny”_ and _“Somebody kill me please.”_

“Oh, dear...” Tae sighed, shaking her head. “Good thing I keep clean underwear in the clinic...”

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Mnh..."

When Goro awoke, harsh, white lighting pierced his eyes.  Judging by the gym bar-like arrangement of the lights, their brightness, and the thin foam mattress that shook beneath him, he was in some kind of doctor's office.  Indeed, when he turned his body over he saw the same doctor that had been speaking to Akira and company - Tae Takemi, was it?  She must've found him and taken him inside, and he felt himself flush again.  Given what he had been doing and how his body had been acting, he likely had a big fat boner, and she probably saw it.  Yes, she  _was_ a doctor, but it was still embarrassing as all hell.  And there it was again, the embarrassment, noting that his outfit was now swapped with a plain tee shirt, a pair of clean sweatpants and some fresh underwear.  He groaned, realizing that if he  _did,_ dare he say it,  _jizz in his pants,_ then he'd have to take his trousers to the cleaners, and he did  _not_ want his urges to be the reason why they needed a cleaning.  But there was also all of that blood...

"I never thought I'd see the old wives' tale come true...arousal headlined by a nosebleed," Tae said in awe, spinning her chair around to face Goro.  "...Well, that  _would_ be amusing if it were true, but after examining you, I can freely conclude that the tissue in your nose became heavily engorged while you were...predisposed.  It's still extremely rare, so to see it happen was a wonderful treat for me and my research."  She smiled and playfully ruffled Goro's hair, and he squawked.  "I thank you, Detective Prince."

Goro was at a loss for words, only mustering confusion at his clothing.  The last thing he wanted was to see this odd duck (attractive as she was) doctor seeing him naked...

"Oh, don't worry," said Tae.  "I have a male nurse helping me now.  He changed your clothes.  Your uniform's in that plastic bag over there."  She pointed at a wayward bag next to her desk.  "Now, can you speak?"

"...Doc..." Goro flopped onto his back, covering his forehead.  "My head hurts...I'm all dizzy..."

"You were likely aroused for far longer than what is considered normal," Tae said bluntly, and Goro blushed.  "Your...release expelled more adrenaline and oxygen than expected, and your muscles were a bit limp when I bought you in.  Are you experiencing any pain in your genitals right now?"

"N-No!" He exclaimed, face ablaze.  He winced as vertigo set in.  "Nnh...okay, yes, it hurts a little..."

"Do you have the urge to sneeze?  Itchy, watery eyes?  Do you feel depressed?"

Goro shook his head at all of her questions.

"Well then," Tae said with satisfaction.  "You don't appear to have POIS, and your vitals are all normal.  I think you just had a  _little_ too much backed up there."  She giggle-snorted.  "You did lose some blood though, so I'll have you stay put until you feel better.  I have some patients coming in for physical examinations, so I'll be behind the curtain if you need anything.  There's juice and cookies on the stand if you need them."  She ruffled his hair again.  "Don't fantasize too much now, okay Akechi-kun?"

It seemed that even in a neighborhood like Yongenjaya, people knew who Goro was.  At least this eccentric doctor was kind enough not to make a fuss about him.  He turned away from the door and fell asleep, only vaguely aware that Akira herself was getting her checkup and chatting with the doctor (learning in the process that the alleged "punishment box" was actually a blog where they dressed Morgana up in costumes and took photos of him).  His body was too weak to engorge itself in arousal, but Goro felt his face grow warm, gasping in horror as the last thing he saw came to mind once again.  He went rigid, letting the image of a happy, pregnant Akira sink in...

She wasn't a frumpy, resigned little housewife that he had often seen or had expected.  No, she sat tall and proud, and given what she had gone through, he doubt that even pregnancy would slow her down in whatever she would do.  At first, he could only see her visage, from the change of hair (cut short, still fluffy) to the plump breasts to the table she had been working at - was she drawing?  Crafting something?  He couldn't tell.  Soon the rest of the image filled itself around her: she was in a beautifully-furnished apartment, part living space, part study, lined with immaculate panels of darkened wood and lined with all kinds of books.  He could see the kitchen area behind it, noting the array of coffee pots and beans on the shelves.  Two plates of of curry and rice were prepared on the bar top, which itself was lined with beautiful flowers.  Nestled on the couch was a fuzzy black cat - Morgana, maybe?  She concentrated on her work - she must have taken up a craft for financial reasons, yet she still looked content - only looking up when the front door opened.  

Goro squeaked.  Akira smiled radiantly and waddled over to the door, and it was then that he realized that the one who had entered the door, tired from a long day of work, was  _him._ He was a little bit older, hair tied in a ponytail, donned in a suit that was similar to the one that he wore on the job now.  He smiled at the presence of his beautiful wife and carefully took her in his arms, kissing her tenderly and warmly.

_"Honey, I'm home."_

_"Welcome back."_

She guided him to the kitchen area, letting him set his briefcase on the counter and putting the two curry dishes in the microwave.  As she did, he embraced her from behind, laying his hands on her swollen belly, and she giggled.  

_"Have you thought of a name for our daughter, love?"_

_"Hmm...not yet.  I really want it to be special."_

_"You said that you're a spitting image of your own mother, right?  I don't_ _know why, but I get the feeling that our little girl's gonna be a spitting image of you."_ As the Akira in his mind said this, she teasingly poked his cheek.   _"Maybe she'll become a detective in her own right...the Detective Princess."_

 _"Hey now..."_ The Goro in his mind became uncomfortable.   _"Our daughter will be whatever she wants to be."_

 _"I know.  I'm sorry, dear."_ The Akira in his mind kissed her husband.   _"Sit down now, the curry's ready."_

The dream grew blurry, disappearing in a flurry of lights and stars.  Goro ran a hand over his face and realized, with a bitter laugh, that those "lights" were his tears.  How in all the hells did he wind up fantasizing about something like  _that?_

 _"How the hell indeed...like something that wonderful could ever happen to me,"_ he thought bitterly.   _"Wait...why am I crying...?"  I don't want...that..."_

 _"I believe the word you are looking for,"_ whispered Robin Hood, lodged in the deepest parts of his mind,  _"Is 'deserve.'"_

"Yeah...that's right..." Goro said to himself.  "That's completely right..."

 

 

* * *

 

 

Tae had called up a cab for Goro when he woke up.  He paid her for her services and the cabbie for his, and he desperately ran back into his apartment with a heavy heart.  He stripped himself of the stiff clothing Tae had lent him and got into pajamas, brushed his teeth, and hopped right into bed without a word.  Desperate he was to escape to the land of dreams, he couldn't, for the pain in his heart was far too heavy.  

"Dammit all...dammit dammit dammit dammit  _dammit..."_

He pounded on the sheets and whimpered.  He felt ill at ease in the clinic, and he felt even worse now.  Only the buzzing of his phone slapped him out of his doldrums.

"That...that's right..." he said weakly.  "The bug..."

He reached for his phone with the intent to call it, but he saw that a message, of all things, had been sent his way.  Last time he checked, he had a meager amount of contacts, and the only one not tied to his detective job was an alternate phone line his father used, and it was strictly for calls.  So who could possibly be texting him?  He reached for his phone and tapped on the messaging application, and promptly spit up in surprise at what was sent his way.

**_IM: Akira Kurusu - > Goro Akechi_ **

_Akira: This is a mass text!_

_Akira: Captain_Kidd_Morgana_cute.jpg_

"...What!?"

It was a picture of Morgana the cat - a well-crafted, professionally shot picture at that, clearly taken with a digital camera.  It looked like that whole "punishment box" blog was a big deal, for  _some_ damnable reason.  Then again, maybe not: Morgana was a cat (as much as he vehemently denied it), and cats always took the web by storm, especially when one took an adorable black cat and dressed him up in ridiculous costumes.  The picture was of a thoroughly not-amused Morgana dressed in a pirate costume - skeleton hat, blue coat, a dark orange skirt that stood in for pants, and a hand cannon prop that had been placed on his right paw.  To top off the image, he was sitting on a prop boat that had a grinning shark face painted on the front.  

"...Okay then!"

That was all that Goro could muster at the sight.  But it did rid him of the weight in his heart, and he felt himself smiling - again, inadvertently.  And more than that, his phone vibrated with another string of messages.

_Akira: Hi Akechi!  This is Kurusu! :)  Just in case you didnt know who this was._

_Akira: This pic is from the blog my gfs and I run._

_Akira: We dress up my cat in costumes and take pics, as u can see.  Its like cosplay for cats._

"...They do that for pets now?"

As a closet lover of Sentai and older anime, Goro was in the loop about terms like cosplay, although he never actively followed it.  He had seen photos of cosplayers here and there and even witnessed a shoot in Shinjuku at one point.  The quality of Morgana's costume and the lighting and staging were very commendable and well-put together, so calling it "cosplay" was almost on the nose.  The only element that was lacking was the fact that the cosplayer in question was out-of-character and visibly pissed off...but in a way, that made him look even more adorable than normal.

_Akira: Sorry if I was bothering u or anything._

_Akira: I heard from Takemi-sensei that u came to visit the cafe and collapsed.  Are u ok?_

_Akira: U dont have to respond right away, I know ur busy.  Just wanted to be sure._

It felt incredibly surreal, and Goro was caught completely off-guard.  The texts were as mundane and as casual as they could be, and filled with genuine concern to boot.  All of a sudden, Goro wasn't really tired anymore - and the darkness in his heart had warped from pitch black to a soothing orange, much like the flame he felt in Akira's presence.  His body became a little more animated, a little more energetic, a _lot_ more  _organic._ The motions were the diametric opposite of the concise, stilted motions he made on a daily basis as detective and student.  He felt himself wriggle, turning on his back and, with hesitation, began typing a response.  Like that night when he freely touched himself down there, on this night, all semblances of calculation, of control, of plans and of hoaxes and of games...all of it receded into the very back of his head, and Loki receded with them.  The sincerity that he kept locked away with Robin Hood had slipped through the cracks of the mask that had been grafted onto him for so long...

_Goro: Hello Kurusu._

_Goro: I am all right.  Thank you for checking in with me._

"Hmm...too formal..." Goro said to himself.  But then again, he almost never texted.  

_Akira: Hey, u replied! :)_

_Akira: Sensei said you were all dizzy.  Srsly, are u ok?_

This kind of persistence would normally be irritating to Goro, but this time around, it felt kind of nice.

_Goro: I got some rest at the clinic, but I'm still pretty tired.  I'll feel better in the morning._

_Akira: Thats good._

_Goro: But I have to ask, Kurusu_

_Goro: Why'd you send me a photo of your cat?_

The notification faded in and out once or twice.  She clearly had a reason, and Goro anticipated it...

_Akira: Its a photo for our blog.  Its called "La Garde-robe du Chat Noir."_

_Akira: Thats french for "the black cat's wardrobe" ^_^_

_Akira: I post pics on social media too.  Tweeter and Headbook usually_

_Goro: Can you send me a link sometime?_

_Akira: Ill send u one now!_

Indeed, she sent him a URL to the blog.  He clicked on the link, redirecting him to his phone's web application.  Despite the premise of the site, it was immaculately designed, likely from one of those portfolio sites.  Did she design it?

_Goro: It looks lovely._

_Akira: Thanks!  I made the site.  Mako-chan takes the pics.  Ann-chan makes the costumes.  She says she might do design if modeling blows over_

_Goro: Ann?  Isn't she the hapa?_

Goro mentally chided himself.  That wasn't exactly in good taste...

_Akira: Shes actually only a quarter American.  But yes, she has the blonde hair and blue eyes._

_Akira: Anyhoo its a fun thing we do on the down low._

_Akira: Im actually having a sleepover with my gfs right now._

And thus Goro encountered something he had only seen in movies: the famed "slumber party" held between "girlfriends" (assuming that was what Akira meant by "gfs").  From what he had seen, slumber parties were charming little affairs where girls would speak of their crushes, play games, pamper one another, and pelt each other with pillows in "pillow fights."  He chuckled at the thought of the young women who fought in the other world doing something like a slumber party, but he also realized that they were regular girls first and foremost.  His curiosity got the better of him - he'd call the bug quickly, just out of curiosity, just for a moment.

He didn't want to leave Akira waiting, after all.

He dialed the bug.  What he had expected were squeals and peals of laughter; what he got instead was  _quite_ different...

<"...No offense, Ann-chan, but you're all kinds of wrong."> The first to speak was Makoto.

<"W-Why is that, Mako-chan?">

<"Sacher-Masoch's work, under a certain light, is unabashedly positive.  Marquis de Sade's works are _not_.  The recurring themes in the work prove that point, and it isn't just all manner of disgusting that goes on in them.  Why, it kind of ties to what we do as Phantom Thieves." >

<"You're talking about the inherent nature of the people who carry out those acts, right Mako-chan?"> Haru inquired.  <"The people in his novels who abused their power the most were members of the clergy...it's like when we go and reform people in the other world.">

<"According to Sade, clergymen have the inherent need to torture others because it's in their nature to do so,"> said Akira.  <"That's something you can ream from his works, but it goes deeper...when I did the French author assignment for class, I realized that Sade's stories weren't about society per se, but about appealing to a person's base desires...more specifically,  _his own_ desires.  The point of  _120 Days of Sodom_ was that it had none.  It was meant to shock and offend, because that was Sade's personal philosophy.  Pleasure dominates everything else, hence why he justified that him murdering and raping others was legal.  It gave him personal pleasure.">

<"That's dark,"> said Futaba, clearly shaken.  <"He's like a progenitor to some of our worst targets.">

<"You could say that, Futaba.">  Goro heard shifting.  <"In any case...Ann-chan, did you even read  _Venus In Furs?_ Like, at all?  Specifically the very last quote of the book?">

<"Ehehe...not...really...">

<"The final quote that Akira-chan is referring to,"> said Haru, <"is ' _That woman, as nature has created her, and man at present is educating her, is man's enemy. She can only be his slave or his despot, but never his companion. This she can become only when she has the same rights as he and is his equal in education and work_.'  Severin learns at the very end of the book that an ideal couple is formed between people who are not just strong-willed, but hold a great deal of respect for each other." >

<"I...I see...">

Goro hung up and sighed.  "Okay, was not expecting that..." he said to himself.  "Last time I checked, regular high school girls don't talk about the life philosophy of the man who coined the term  _sadism..."_ Unexpectedly, though, he found himself smiling at the notion.  "But it sure is refreshing.  Didn't I throw a Hegel quote at Kurusu when I met her?"

***vrrr***

Goro eagerly picked up his phone and hit the messaging icon again, completely taken aback at what he saw.

_Akira: img_morgana_kinkshaming.jpg_

_Akira: Hahaha lol sorry we were talking about philosophy.  Go figure_

_Akira: Anyhoo heres me and Morgana.  We put him in a maid outfit this time!  I sent this in case u needed a laugh or something_

Talk about whiplash.  She went from talking about sadism to indulging in it, judging by the anguish of the poor cat in her arms.  Akira, meanwhile, was aglow with happiness, and absolutely  _adorable_ in that long-sleeved sweatshirt.  He could barely make out what was on it - something akin to "I love kitties!" written in English - but he could see the cartoon cats that were on it, and it suited her nicely.  She had the usual twin braids in her hair, but the glasses were absent, and he could see her beautiful blue-gray eyes in full.  

As he typed a response, he found himself wishing that he could see her without her glasses on in person...

_Goro: The cat looks adorable.  And pissed.  How has he not killed you yet?_

_Akira: Master and I feed him well._

_Goro: Of course :)._

As elated(?) as he was feeling, Goro was also tired, eager to sleep.  Reluctantly he typed out his good nights, and the heaviness that was once in his heart crept back in a series of small, aching sensations in his chest.

_Goro: We both have school in the morning, no?  I'm going to sleep soon.  That okay?_

_Akira: Of course :).  You sleep tight, k?_

_Akira: I had fun talking to u tonite.  Night Akechi._

_Goro: Me too, Kurusu._

_Goro: Good night._

He reluctantly exited the messaging app and settled back under the blankets, landing on his side.  A mere four days - now five - had gone by since he began this little assignment, and all that Goro got out of it aside from disturbing imagery and lessons on sadism was his head being a jumbled, emotionally-wracked mess.  In a mere four days, the intense hatred and jealousy he felt toward the leader of the Phantom Thieves had turned into something that Goro had no right having, and it  _hurt._ Confusion, fear, a need for  _contact,_ all of it left his body in a tangled hodgepodge of knots.  

As he slid beneath the covers, he turned his phone back on and re-entered the messaging app, sliding up what might have been his very first IM conversation held at length.  His eyes settled on the second photo she had sent him, the one of her smiling and holding Morgana.  It was an intimate gesture: the sharing, the way it was shot, that  _smile..._ and all of it warm and sincere.  The girl he hated wanted to speak to him, wanted him around.  She needed him, and damn him if he twisted that need for his machinations against his father....

_"Akira...Kurusu..."_

He stared and stared at the image, soaking in what little details he could find.  There was the sunny smile, the girlish braids, the shirt - wait, was she wearing anything  _under_ it?  Was she wearing any pants for that matter?  Any... _underwear...?_

Like a flurry of flames, his fantasies from before flickered in his head: the ripe breasts, the pregnant belly, the beautiful skin, her husky, deep voice, this very image - all of it struck him to the core, forcing heat to pool into his lower abdomen and blood to flow to his penis, making it eagerly erect.  Akira's visage had come to him once more, this time in that kitten sweatshirt.  Her hair was tied in braids and her glasses were gone, just like in the image.  Goro's right hand held his phone as his left slowly slid down his body, sliding all the way across his gyrating hips.  In his mind she was no longer in LeBlanc's attic, but  _here_ with  _him,_ and him alone.  Dark, smokey eyes were alight with lust, and yet in their roundness did he sense a drop of vulnerability mixing with her usual dominance...

_"Goro..."_

He could hear her call him by his given name, and he eagerly grasped his erection at the thought.  She sat above him, facing away, flushed and eager and shy and panting like a dog.  Her hands - he noted the sweatshirt was a little too big for her - palmed her upturned buttocks, revealing the same red thong she was wearing the other day.  It hid virtually  _nothing:_ not the engorged pink labia, not the vulva, not that crown of jet black pubic hair, and most of all, it completely failed to hide the sheer  _excitement_ that trickled down between her legs, soaking both thong and thighs.  

Goro began to pump, steadily moving velvet flesh up and down as the Akira in his mind teasingly slid the little thong down her legs, _baring it all to him_ , and brushed her arousal with his.  He moaned.

_"Goro...Goro, please...Goro, I can't wait any more..."_

Goro moaned more as he began to pump harder, a small sliver of drool falling from his lips.  He could fucking  _feel it it was so close,_ it was fucking  _hot,_ it was slick, wet, so,  _so close -_

 _"Please fuck me, Goro...!  Please, please, fuck me now, or else I'll..."_ The Akira in his mind opened her legs and went for it - she positioned her lips and  _plunged,_ and the imagined heat from her walls made Goro groan.   _"Aaaah!"_

There it was, one of the most beautiful things Goro could ever imagine: Akira had impaled herself on him, wriggled around, moaning and whining as his thick girth stretched her from within, ridges and veins rubbing  _all the right spots,_ the tip barely tapping  _the mouth of the womb._ It took effort for Goro not to come right there; he wanted the fantasy to last a while longer.  His grasp loosened and his motions slowed, savoring the tight burn that had throbbed throughout his cock.  The Akira in his mind responded in kind: she shifted her hips, letting the head of the cock rub along inside her, and she quietly moaned, glancing behind at him with a pleasured smile.

_"It's so thick...it's hot...ah, I, I can'..."_

Just like how Goro began thrusting into his hand, so too did the Akira in his mind, steadily building momentum from bouncing on his penis.  The sight of him in his little make-believe world finally appeared.  He pictured himself sitting up and grasping her hips, eagerly thrusting in tandem with her, and she  _squealed_ with absolute delight.  She let herself loose, drowning in the throws of lust with a joyful cry, letting sweat and flush run rampant all over her body.   _"It feels so good!"_ He heard her shout, exposing her breasts and fondling them.   _"It feels amazing, Goro...please don't stop...Goro...Goro...!"_

Tiny bubbles of Cowper's fluid had emerged from the tip, sliding into his hand.  Goro bit his lip, letting the blazing heat within him burn.  Coherency began slipping away from him, and it was the same for the Akira in his mind, who had bent forward on _all fours_ and opened herself more, and most of her words had melted into incoherent whimpers and yelps.  He pictured himself bending forward with her, rutting her furiously like a dog, leaving a dark love bite on her neck.  His hips loudly _slapped_ her ass from the lewd fluids that they made together, his grip on them growing tighter and tighter...yes, yes,  _this_ was _fucking:_  pure, raw,fiery, slick,  _bare,_ so intense yet loving.  The tenderness of human lovemaking had become one with a ferocious mating dance, a dance that would climax and he'd let loose his darkest desires within her.  

A wicked thought of his lasted for less than a second -  _"Hnnh, you wanna have my babies, don't you?  Don't you!?"_ \- And it was thoroughly  _disgusting,_ but the gasp that Goro let loose signaled an incoming climax, and he let the urges overwhelm him, pumping faster.  

"Akira..."

The blaze became unbearable, so much so that he turned on his back and kicked down the covers, exposing himself fully.  He bit the back of his right hand to stifle a moan, legs losing control and bending as he felt his climax approaching.  The Akira in his mind began to tremble in turn, barely able to breathe between squeals and pants.  In his head he gripped at her swaying breasts, teasing at the one that had been pierced...no, even like this, it wasn't enough.  Before she could reach from behind and kiss him he flipped her on her back, taking the breast that had not been pierced and suckling on it, clamping on it, slapping and pressing his hips fully onto her and grinding her clit against his skin, and  _there_ it was, a wet  _something_ that dribbled onto his crotch - the wonderful assumption he had of it confirmed itself when she cried out in pleasure.

_"No!  You're driving me crazy, Goro...Goro!"_

He choked - it was coming.  He could feel it.  He felt the peak coming and so did the girl in his head, who grabbed him and furiously kissed his lips, tongues dancing and twirling and melting together, bodies becoming one.  Between gasps and kisses he heard her say something - he could barely hear it - but whatever the hell it was it opened the floodgates, and he came, splattering his hand and his stomach, and somehow one shot reached his pillow.

"Nnh!"

In reality he was covered with his own come; In his head he thrust deep inside her, and her tightening around him milked him dry, filling her to the brim.  Her beautiful mess of a visage panted and sighed, weary and exhausted and completely _satisfied._ In reality, Goro had been so far gone in the moment that he mimicked carding his hand through her curly hair, which had loosened from their braids and tangled.  She sighed and giggled and cooed, and to mimic the kiss he planted on her lips, Goro kissed the back of his hand.

_"Fuck, Akira...you're the worst...why are you doing this to me...!?"_

His clean hand flopped on the bed, and Goro remained frozen, panicking on the inside as emotions he considered incapable of having wove a spell on his heart.  The shame he had for the past two nights had reached an extreme - he  _fantasized_ having intercourse with his goddamn  _rival,_ of all things - but tonight its strength paled in comparison to the shock he was experiencing.  He could curse Akira Kurusu all he wanted, but even logic could tell that the spell she cast on him was spurred on by him, and him alone.  As he reached for the tissues on his headboard and began cleaning himself up, he reamed over the blurring fantasy, letting every last detail burn in his memory before slipping away.  He reached the pinnacle of it and gasped, finally grasping the words she had shouted before their mutual climax...

...He couldn't believe it.  Fate was cruel.

"Hahahaha...hah...that's...that's ridiculous.  Like, like _that_ could ever happen," he choked.  "Why the fuck am I having these...these...these  _s_ _tupid thoughts?_ I don't want any of it.  Yeah, I, I don't...right?  R-Robin Hood said...I didn't..."

He found himself tearing up once more and cursed himself for it.  It was best to let them out now, though; a new day was coming, and hopefully it would be nice and monotonous, and he wouldn't have to see Akira - no,  _Kurusu,_ in person again for a while.  He'd just stick to the original plan, and all would be well.  His endgame had been prepped for years, after all, and there was  _absolutely no reason_ divert from it!  None!

...Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Robbie Daymond's Goro is perfection and preciousness incarnate ~~AND HE DID NOTHING WRONG~~
> 
> Happy worldwide release day, everyone!


	4. Day 5-1!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goro has yet another intense fantasy of Akira (one that would leave a pornographer reeling) and at this point, he'd rather not see her again for a while. Fate has different ideas in mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to get something out because of impatience :p. It's also long, stuff escalated quickly, and the whole pornographic dream portion was pretty fun to write. Hence this day will be divided into two parts.
> 
> This chapter was bought to you by P-Studio, the makers of _Phoenix Ranger Floggerman R_. You can find the rest of their fun, frisky titles wherever adult videos are sold: _A Lone Pussy_ , _Nights On The Holy Lance_ , _Ass Destruction_ , _Reach Around For The Truth_ , and their newest film, _Wake her Up, Get It Up, Get It In Her_ , guest-starring the adorable anal prince himself, Akechi Mitsuhide.
> 
> Why yes, I _did_ turn the names of Persona music tracks into porn titles. Feel free to shoot me in the comments section.

It was the dawn of a new day – the fifth day of Goro’s adventures in snooping on Akira Kurusu, the gentlewoman thief who stole the hearts of the corrupt, the embodiment of everything he could never have, the ace of aces in all that she did, the fixation of the lust that he thought he was incapable of having…

For the past two and a half years, Goro Akechi had put on the front of an affable, peerless detective, taking that world by storm, marrying his intelligence and hard work with youthful zeal. He carefully mixed the two together with two goals in mind: to be taken seriously by society at large, and to be admired by the masses at the same time. After all, the first Detective Prince could not reach the apex of admiration he had reached because he (or rather, _she_ ) had given in to youthful indiscretion and arrogance. And while she had likely hid her true gender to protect herself and be taken more seriously, Goro thought that doing so made her look even _more_ immature. To him, it made sense that she lost her title, had to work from the bottom up again to her former glory. Giving in to neither the foolishness nor the apathy that teenagers fell into had bought Goro a long way.

Having to wake up to yet another erection in the wake of the extremely erotic fantasy that he had of Akira the night before served as a painful reminder that yes, despite trying to act otherwise, Goro Akechi was still a seventeen year-old boy with seventeen year-old desires. Suppressing his hormones completely would backfire, and he was experiencing it now. Worse yet, it wasn’t _just_ his backed-up hormones merely acting up either…

Any other stupid teenage boy would dream of jerking off over some idol or model and call it a day. Goro Akechi, on the other hand, dreamed of a firework of a young woman who made him feel light and nauseous at the same time. The feeling churned as he drifted in and out of sleep, and her visage came to him once again.  This time around, she was Joker, the fiery, seductive heroine, and he - wearing the guise Loki granted him - was the wicked, morally gray villain, Black Mask.  It played out like a film in his head - and with the thoughts he had been having, it would probably devolve into a pornographic film...

_"Hmm...doing it in the other world, huh...and with her looking like that...hmhmhm...."_

The "film" was set in some random Palace or another; it was hard to tell.  He was on the run, smoking pistol in hand, and she was in hot pursuit.  His escape was hindered by him stumbling off of some platform, and with a graceful leap, she caught up to him.  She grappled him and held him from behind, successfully cornering him...

“ _I’ve finally found you, Black Mask!” Akira-as-Joker shouted, knife poised at Goro’s cheek. “Your reign of terror ends here! Tell me! Why are you driving people insane!?”_

“ _It is because I am the same as you,” Goro-as-Black-Mask replied, grinning wickedly. “We live in a world where people are preyed upon by those in power.  Those in power are like wolves consuming rabbits.  The people I have driven mad are foul as sin. They do not deserve redemption.” He reached for the serrated knife he had hidden beneath one of his belts, and his captor was unaware. “Is that not the goal of the Phantom Thieves? To rid society of the corrupt?”_

“ _We do not kill!” Akira retorted, inching the knife closer to his face. “Those we change need to atone for what they have done! The people need to learn from their example! Killing them would render all of that a moot point!” Ever attentive, she was able to catch the hand reaching his own knife. “And besides, word around the grapevine says that you drive people off the deep end for your own twisted pleasures...”_

For some reason, Goro had expected Dream Akira to stumble when Dream Black Mask made his argument. She did not, and he was a little irritated, especially regarding that _last_ part.  Nevertheless, as the dream began to escalate, he took his left hand and steadily stroked his shaft, eagerly anticipating the next part of the story...

“ _...You are foolish,” said Black Mask, losing composure. “Do you think that you can truly make people stronger by changing the hearts of their oppressors? People who aren’t like us are weak. Their hearts are fickle. For every one who may find strength in your reformations, there are a hundred more who merely find it novel, who find it not worth their time...no, worst of all, there the oppressor's victims tend to become oppressors themselves, and they in turn create more victims...”_

“ _Nnh...”_

_There it was – that moment of weakness. Black Mask broke free from Joker’s grip and elbowed her gut, forcing the knife to drop from her hand. She had toppled over, too pained to reach for her gun when he pulled her up by her arms and pinned her to the wall. He regained his pistol and jammed in her side – she was in his clutches now, completely under his power._

“ _It appears that I have won this round, Joker,” Black Mask said with a dark chuckle. “Why can’t you just admit that death is the better option for our oppressors? Surely even_ _ **you**_ _have been wronged by someone so loathsome that you wished them dead...am I wrong?”_

“ _Rgh...damn you!” She struggled to wrench herself out his grip, to no avail. In response, Black Mask tilted his head back and - ***thud*** \- smashed his visor into her head, and she cried out in pain._

“ _That’s enough out of you!” He retorted, and within mere seconds, his anger had gone from blazing flames to cooler embers, yet no less dangerous – indeed, he returned his gun to his holster and, between thumb and index, grasped Joker’s chin. Before she could react, his mask and the front of his neck brace had vanished in a river of liquid smoke, baring his face before her very eyes…_

“ _Akechi!? Y-You’re Black Mask!?”_

“ _That’s right...” And he struck at her resolve further by ripping off her own mask, baring her own face at his. “...And you, Joker, are really Akira Kurusu...”_

“ _...I don’t believe this...” Joker sighed in despair, struggling to break free. “I thought you were my friend! A-And,” she gasped, blushing at how close his face was to hers, “Let go of me!”_

“ _No,” Goro breathed, pressing his body against hers, dragging her chin closer and closer to his lips.  Even through his heavily padded costume, his slowly growing arousal was apparent, and her eyes went wide with shock.  He was all too eager to press his arousal at her belly, with her shocked gasp making it all the better.  The shock and fear on her face was plain to see, as to her he was a friendly, good-natured rival, a paragon of the law to her agent of chaos.  Seeing him as her true foe struck her hard, given that she had a bond with him that she treasured - there were these feelings she had for him, feelings that she tried, **tried** to force back as his erecting cock slid on her crotch.  She let out a brief scream._

_"N-No!  Please, no!  I, I can't..." She turned her head away, face rosy and aglow.  Black Mask jerked her chin back at his face, all too happy at how her thighs rubbed together, at how her body shivered..._

_"Don't look away..." He breathed, his tongue lapping away the single tear that fell down her cheek._

_"Y-You're..." she let out a nervous whine, desperate to ignore the heat that had been pooling between her own legs.  "P-Please...let go...please..."_

_"I will not. And I never will...”_

_Joker gasped, letting shock grip her in full as the dastardly Black Mask planted a gentle, passionate kiss on her lips. Her resistance was in vain: the eyes went wide and she struggled in protest, face now ablaze in embarrassment, but soon melted into it.  Her resistance to his pinning of her had waned, and his left arm held her waist. Their tongues danced and slithered, peeking in and out as their lips danced.  His hand went from chin to cheek as he tilted his head, garnering a moan from her as he penetrated deeper in her mouth._

Her lips look so soft, Goro thought as his strokes began to pick up the pace.  She probably tasteed like...apricots, or something...something nice and sweet but a little bit bold and, and...he softly moaned, completely lost in his lust as the film continued...

_He ended the kiss far too soon for her liking, leaving behind a small trail of spit between them…_

“ _...Join me, Joker. Join my cause,” Black Mask sighed, gazing intensely at her.  She gasped. “Think of what we could do if we teamed up. The whole world, chanting our names! No one would stand in our way!”_

“ _I...” Joker choked, squeaking as Black Mask kissed her cheek. “I can’t abandon my friends...I, I won’t kill anybody! I – ah!”_

_A pink tongue slithered down, down down Joker’s neck. The sensitive skin tingled, and Joker’s body began to heat up.  The arousal that had been pooling in her lower belly became unbearably hot, and Black Mask smirked at his little victory: her trembling legs rubbed together, struggling desperately not to pry open and let him in.  Was it possible that she wanted him already...?_

_“No,” she gasped, crumbling as his teeth nibbled her neck. “St...stop...l-let go…my friends, I -”_

“ _ **Forget**_ _about your friends,” Black Mask growled, fiercely grabbing her rear. “They’re weak. They can’t do a thing without you. They’ll only hold you back.”_

_Despite her wavering resolve, Joker still resisted, shaking her head in denial as Black Mask moved his hand from her rear to her crotch, teasingly dipping his hand in her pants  - and she was thoroughly, thoroughly **wet.** She was wet, she was hot, she was swollen, she was wordlessly **begging** for him.  "Oh my," Black Mask huffed, a wicked grin creeping on his face.  "What's this?  You're dripping wet already!  To think that the great phantom thief herself is a cock-hungry slut...hmmm..." He hummed, nibbling at her neck, pleased at the gasps that rang out from her lips.  "Do you have any idea how much I want to ram my dick in you right now, Joker?  Do you?"  
_

_"B-Bastard!"_

_"You don't really think that," he sighed, his fingers toying with her swollen clitoris.  "You know how much I've wanted you, right?  For the longest time, since the day we became rivals...do you know how much I've wanted to make love to you, make you mewl, scream, come?   Can you even begin to fathom how much I've wanted to rip off your clothes and fuck you senseless?  Do you know how I want to steal you away somewhere, tie you up and cum all over your pretty little face?  Hmm? You can't be that blind to the truth."_

_"Nnh!"_

_"And I know how much you want me too..."_

_She cried out and made one final struggle, but could not break free, and all power had vanished as his fingers rapidly danced on her clit, stroking faster and faster and faster...her body went slack, and she began to mewl in pleasure as he toyed with the wetter-growing lips, legs spreading apart, just for him..._

“ _N-No…not there, please...if you do that, I’ll – ah!” She whined, biting her lip as his large, graceful fingers finally –_ _ **finally –**_ _pierced inside her. They brushed that small, spongy spot, over and over and **over** , and Joker's coherency was damn near gone. She looked away from him, face hotter than fire.  Her hands gripped at air, fingernails digging into skin - she needed something to grip on, because her body was wiggling and awash with spasms and she'd faint at this rate.  If he kept touching her like this, setting her body ablaze, fingers dipping in and out and back in her pussy - _

“ _Eyah!"_

_\- Quicksilver liquid dribbled out of her pink lips, with her core and her clitoris growing number and number with pleasure.  Her appetite was whetted, all worries and fears flying away.  Black Mask let out a quick, sharp laugh, joyful and amazed at the sight of the puckering pink lips that left his hand absolutely soaked.  He tore off her pants in one quick gesture, exposing her vulva for his eyes to feast on.  A teasing trail of girl-cum slowly dripped to the floor from within her - cum that hehad bought out of her by his own hand.  His pants had become far too tight for his liking and he took a moment to unfasten his belt and let his own pants drop.  Joker gasped at the sight of his erect cock; it was bigger than she had anticipated, and the slight shock on her face was apparent to him._

This portion of the film was self-indulgence on his part.  Locker room antics and bathhouse visits made it clear that Goro was more grower than shower.  He slowed his strokes a little, losing steam at the fact that he'd lose the nice girth and length he could muster after coming.  It wasn't  _tiny,_ not even close, but it  _was_ smaller than he liked, despite being uncut.  Given the rivalry he had with Akira, he was thankful she weren't a boy.  If his rival were indeed male, he'd probably bed drippy school girls and lonely older women with ease and would leave his cock eating dust in terms of size...

The film in his head cut back to the trembling Joker.  While she was aroused as could be, she was also clearly nervous: sensual yet vulnerable.  Black Mask slammed the brakes, bringing his intense lust to a halt - after all, he was terribly fond of his beautiful, kindhearted rival...

_"G-Goro," she stuttered, body shivering in nervousness.  No longer was he just "Black Mask" to her, and he softly smiled._

“ _Shhhh...” he whispered in her ear, lightly planting sweet little kisses on her cheek.  He let themselves drop gently to the floor, easing her onto her back.  His hands let her wrists free at last, and with tender fingers he removed her leather jacket and slowly unbuttoned her shirt.  She quietly gasped when he exposed her beautiful, snow white breasts, and the exposure to the cold air erected the pretty pink nipples on top.  He grinned at the sight of her right nipple: Contrary to the rest of her body, it was daringly pierced with a ring_ _.  Eagerly he pinned her hands once more as his tongue teased and flicked the bare nipple, tangling and grazing and jiggling it with gentle teeth._

“ _Mmmnh...beautiful, absolutely beautiful...”_

_"Th...they're not...ah!"_

_The second he fully suckled on her nipple, lapping as if it had been full of milk, her legs sharply parted, and more fingers penetrated her most private place.  Her poor legs had been completely soaked from her love juices.  She was more than ready to take in his cock, but reluctance still settled in her heart._

_“_ _G-Goro, if you keep touching me like that…! Goro, please, wait, I...!"_

_"Yes, love?"_

_Her eyes settled on his cock, and while taken aback at its size, she also felt strangely giddy and eager inside.  The skin that covered the bulbous head had slid partway down, exposing the delicate, meaty head.  How peculiar his penis looked, she thought...and how tempting it was to reach out to it and let everything go._

_"You’re going too fast," she moaned softly.  "I'm nervous..."_

_“I can’t wait anymore, Akira,” he sighed, shifting off of her.  "I want you..."_

_"I-I know," she gasped, licking her lips - and Black Mask caught on to what she truly wished for at the moment.  "But can you at least..." She blushed harder.  "...Enjoy my mouth first?  It's my first time, after all.  And wouldn't it be more fun for both of us if we...well..."_

_"...Fucking **hell,** Akira..."  _

Already close. Once again, the throws of lust left Goro reeling and panting, a sliver of saliva emerging from the mouth that quietly moaned and gasped. It was as if his deepest desires had come true, and they happily married themselves to a set piece that he had been fond of since youth. It was _perfection,_ and he was far more than happy to let the story continue…

_Black Mask was now sitting on the floor, outfit unbuckled and unzipped from the front.  He had fully exposed his finely toned torso, and Joker happily sighed at the sight of both his lovely body and his erect penis. He gestured his hand at his cock, panting madly. “Please, Joker...please, suck it…”_

_Calling her by her title sent a jolt of arousal down her spine. She nodded her head, licking her lips and blushing harder than ever as her tongue slowly licked velvety flesh. As if she were savoring the taste of it, she let her tongue slide from the base of the shaft to the tip, flickering her tongue on the bulbous head. She had never seen a real penis up close - not like this, anyway.  All she had seen were from either videos or accidental glimpses in real life.  Some were uncut like this, but nowhere near as big - or as cute - as Black Mask's. The foreskin in particular was fascinating to behold._ _S_ _he slid the skin down, and the hypersensitivity of the head was made clear when she kissed it. Black Mask’s bravado melted into a coir of mewls and sighs._

“ _Will this all fit inside me?” she asked shyly._

“ _Oh, I’m sure it will,” he replied with a huff. “And you’re gonna love every inch of it.”_

“ _It’s so big...”_

_"Hmm, that's right.  Why don't you taste it fully for yourself...?"_

_With a breath, Joker nervously took it all in her mouth, steadily sinking her head to and fro,_ _base to tip, suckling and brushing her tongue, leaving no inch of velvety flesh unturned. Everything about her was a beautiful mess of contradictions: she was a vision of fierce, fiery seduction, and yet her eyes were glimmering with innocence and playfulness, her motions shy yet confident.  There was a thin line between the two, and she was definitely toying with that.  Toying with it just made the whole damn experience better for Black Mask, though; he grinned and sighed and groaned loudly as she sucked him harder and deeper.  Her lips hit the hilt and she suckled, and the second she did it he could see her plump little butt gyrating and shaking and spreading open, and - fuck, was that more of her love juices coming out of her?_ _Her eyes glanced up at him curiously,_ _penis still in her mouth,_ _and_ _Goro moan_ _ed_ _and drooled at the sight - he couldn't hold back and **slammed** his cock in her throat, thrusting and thrusting and making her suck him off and service him and moan.  _

_She had never been treated like this before - "facefucked" was the term she was looking for - and yet his fervent need to cum in her and use her this way made Joker feel giddy.  As for the man himself, he grinned, satiating hunger the second he yanked his penis from her mouth and came, painting her face with pearls and splatters of white.  He jerked himself to the last drop, completely caking her face and hair with the stuff, bar one last shot.  In a moment of unrestrained eagerness, Joker leaned in and lapped her tongue at the tip, gently licking off the thick liquid.  The gesture looked like a frog lapping up food, and she did the same, rolling the cum in her mouth and swallowing it._

That little image nearly did Goro in.  There had been an intense hunger lingering inside him for some time, the need to shower his rival's face with cum - maybe not in a place like the Palace, though; somewhere like an interrogation room, or a prison.  How in all that was sacred that she had all he could never obtain, he'd have to find out for himself.  It was the initial reason he wished to perform such an act on her.  And she was such an attractive girl to boot.  Now, though, that reason, while persistent, gave way to another...

“ _Mmm...” The penis left her mouth with a soft slurping sound.  "My face is all dirty," Akira moaned, trembling.  "But I'm even wetter now...how dare you do this to me..."_

_"A facial suits you nicely, Akira," said Black Mask, trembling himself.  "And that look on your face is delectable.  I wonder what kind you'll make when I get my dick inside you?  I can't wait..."_

_"B-But I’m still scared, Goro. It barely fit inside my mouth,” Joker gasped, tenderly_ _grasping the now-flaccid penis with_ _her_ _ladylike fingers. “_ _It looks like it’ll tear me in half...”_

 _Black Mask grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her up, chuckling at her flustered state. “You are absolutely_ _**precious,** _ _Akira,” he said merrily, gently laying her on her back. “_ _And you’ve serviced me so well...you deserve a fun first time, so let me alleviate your fears by returning the favor."_

“ _Huh…?”_

“Nnnnh...”

The audible wet sounds coming from his cock escalated still. Goro’s right arm covered his face, feeling as though some greater force were out there judging him. Thank goodness that the walls in this building were fairly thick, because he did  _not_ want his elderly neighbor badgering him about that loud moan that came from his room...

The next phase of the film was Black Mask laying his new lover on the floor, coaxing and cooing to alleviate her fears as he spread her legs apart.  He could finally see for himself how completely  _soaked_ Joker's wet pink petals were, and they were spread wide, _wide_ open like her legs. The poor, intrepid heroine was in her perverted rival’s grasp with no choice but to give in to him – and give in she did, the second his tongue flicked across her swollen nub...

“ _Aaaaaah!”_

_A suckle, a kiss, a flurry of licks with the tongue – all of it on the poor, aroused clitoris, and Black Mask, gripping her legs fiercely, completely overwhelmed her with his relentless assault on her most sensitive spot. Joker tossed her head, completely lost in pleasure as he fondled her lower lips with his mouth. Before she could object, he fixed his mouth on the whole labia, letting his tongue penetrate inside – a mere taste of what was to come._

“ _Ahh, nooo...gh, Goro, please don’t...I’m, I’m losing my m-mind – aah!_

“ _Hmm, how ironic...” Black Mask whispered huskily, admiring his handiwork. “You’ve stolen the hearts of so many, yet here am I, stealing yours. You poor girl...” He kissed the pussy lips, summoning another squeal from her. “...And you’re a terribly naughty girl too. Very, **very** naughty. Look at how wet your pussy’s gotten. Every little touch sets you off...no, not just those."  He flickered his tongue from top to bottom once more, summoning yet another yelp.  "_ _You liked it when I shoved my cock down your throat, didn't you?”_

“ _T-That’s your fault, y-you...” Joker stammered, “Y-You keep...touching..my...nnnnh!” She squealed again as one of his fingers penetrated inside. Black Mask nodded his head._

“ _Hnnh, I think,” Black Mask growled, his own arousal coming back to life. “That you’re ready for me...” With that, he relieved himself of his neck brace, mounting her and letting his lips linger by her ear. Her head was tossed back, and she was too aroused to move.  His penis erected itself again, balls all tight and desperate to be emptied.  She could feel the heat coming off of it, and all  of her shame steadily slipped away from her - so much so that she propped her legs up and whined as his balls slid against the lower lips.  Black Mask grinned._

“ _Do you want this, you little slut?  Are you no longer afraid?” Black Mask teased, brushing the soft head of his cock by her lips. She frantically nodded. “Does the just Joker want the evil Black Mask’s big, thick cock inside her? Does Joker want Black Mask to fuck her brains out?”_

“ _Y-Yes!” She gasped, grasping him by the collar. “Hurry up and fuck me, please!”_

_And so he did. As much as Black Mask wanted to rail Joker into the ground, he tenderly pushed his cock inside her, tip to root, gently easing her in order to make it as pleasurable as possible. Her light squeal was music to his ears, and he only found himself stopping at near-balls depth when he heard her cringe._

“ _...Does it hurt?”_

“ _A little...it’s all sensitive and...nnh...”_

_The normally dastardly Black Mask broke his facade and tenderly kissed her, softly on the lips, then sweetly planted little Eskimo kisses on her nose. Her nervousness faded and replaced itself with a soft, aroused laugh. Whilst they were all too eager to rail one another into oblivion, a tender and loving air overwhelmed them, and they found themselves gazing into one another’s eyes._

“ _Oh, Joker...nay,” Black Mask gasped. “...Akira. Sweet, sweet Akira, your beauty and wit are incredible to behold...” Slowly and steadily he began to thrust his hips, gyrating ever so slightly to hit all of her sensitive spots. “...How I have longed to do this with you...”_

“ _B-Black...Mask...” Akira moaned, throwing her head back. “Y-You’re...this is...” She squealed, gripping his shoulders as his thrusts gained speed. “...G-Goro...Goro…!”_

_Steadily, he thrust into her, letting whatever remaining scraps of clothing they wore fall away.  Black Mask's lewd banter clashed with the gentle swaying of his hips, letting his dick stir inside her and rub ad nauseum.  He was thick, stretching her out to a soft burn that made Joker yearn for him all the more.  He lifted her right leg to better penetrate, and he did not disappoint: He slid to and fro and penetrated far **deeper** than before, picking up the pace in pounding her uterus until it grew numb.  It felt absolutely wonderful for the mewling Akira.  Her missions and her noble goals and idiot friends had been pounded out of her, and all she could think of now was how incredible her newfound lover's cock felt inside her.  Her moans and pants grew needier and lighter when he fiercely slammed to the hilt, and the boy joyfully laughed as she twisted and arched, letting a dazed smile grace her lips._

_"Look at how shameless you are, Akira," Goro breathed, planting little kisses all over her face.  "You're enjoying yourself so much.  How brazen you are!  And how adorable you look..."I could eat up that pretty little face of yours."_

_"Goro," Akira huffed, tugging at pert, sensitive breasts.  "Let me be on top, please.  I can't take it, please...it's so hot, I, I want to - "_

_She squealed merrily as he rolled on his back and propped her up, grinning at the sight of her arched back and bit lip - oh, that nearly did him in, and good.  She was displayed fully, only for him, twisting and burning as he thrust upward.  He brushed a thumb over the clitoris, making her jolt and bounce.  A playful smack on her rear encouraged her to bounce faster, and bounce she did, whining every time his cock stretched within her..._

_"It's so hot..." She whined, gripping his legs.  "I-It's thick, a-and...hot...and i-it's...filling me...!"_

_"Ohh, I'm gonna fill you up for sure," Goro hissed, picking up the pace and pinching her pierced nipple.  "Once everything's over, come live with me.  We're gonna fuck each other senseless night after night and I'll fill you until my balls are empty."  He yanked her down and planted a sloppy kiss on her lips, forcing another squeal as he pounded into her.  "Hah...I want you to squeal, Akira.  I want you to scream as I pump you full of cum and get you all knocked up."_

_"H-Huh!?"_

_"Yeah," Goro huffed, nibbling her ear.  " I wanna be like a stud.  I want you to have all my babies...lots and lots of 'em.  I did always want to start a family with you."_

_"G-Goro!" She sputtered, embarrassed._

(What the actual fuck was with this fixation on pregnancy he had lately?  Goro still felt himself near climax, but it was still confusing and strange...)

_They were dangerously close, and Akira threw her head back, falling on her side, too weary to continue.  All of his words had made her tremble and spasm and twitch - she was so, so close to tipping over the edge into Nirvana, and so was he.  She gasped and gasped until her lungs burst, and not even the sloppy, poignant, deep kiss Goro planted on her lips could stop the damn from overflowing._

“ _Yesyesyesyes – I’m gonna come!”_

_"Akira...!"_

_Akira felt like spinning, head fully tilted as she let her base urges overwhelm her, feeling as though she were falling into a pit of light.  One final deep thrust from Goro had him joining her, wriggling and pushing himself to the hilt, filling her with semen.  The film ended on a surprisingly tender note, having both Black Mask and Joker gently collapse and cuddle up to one another, completely uncaring of the fact that they were in the dangerous Metaverse - in fact, the sheer bliss that they shared combined with, maybe, a good thought for them from the real world, seemed to protect them, surrounding them in a bubble of soft light and flowers..._

...Seeing Akira climax the way she did made Goro come, making his bed an even bigger mess than before. What he would give for that burst of an instant to take Joker into Mementos and make a complete _mess_ out of her, like he did to her in the movie in his mind. He sighed in relief, letting his body flop and his mind rest. His sheets and his pajamas were wrecked, but he needed to take a trip to the laundromat anyway.

“ _...Ah, fuck school today. I’m tired...”_

In hindsight, he welcomed the extra sleep after all of those all-nighters at work. Hell, he was near the top of his class _despite_ said all-nighters, so what was the harm in skipping a day of school? It wasn’t as if he had anything better to do anyway.  And best of all, he could completely avoid Akira Kurusu - and for the better, after that abominable,  _sick_ fantasy of his...

_"Nothing better to do, huh..."_

That thought struck Goro to the core, as if Shido himself had slapped his cheek (which he had done so on a few occasions…). He had no real work to do, school was already a drag, and Shido hadn’t sent any new assignments for him recently. And while there was Okumura to contend with, he had to wait until the thieves did their usual song-and-dance to steal his heart – and heaven knows when _that_ would go down.

“Dammit...I don’t even have a lead for that...” Goro realized bitterly, chomping his sheet. “Maybe bugging Kurusu’s room was a bad idea...”

 _There_ was an understatement – the understatement of the year, probably. The mere thought of her name bought her into his head once more, and except this time, she was tame: dressed in her apron and casual wear, serving coffee, calling out to him gently. The pornographic film that played out in his head revealed itself to him once more, playing like a highlight reel, and he blushed.

“How _dare_ you do this to me...you’re...” He futilely said to himself, desperate to chase her out of his head. “You’re _trash..._ you’re _trash_ who lives in a goddamn _attic...”_ He fisted his sheets. “ _I_   am perfection...I've striven so far on my own, I, I'm a goddamn celebrity...yeah..."

 _"Yes, that's right,"_ said Loki.   _"You've nothing to be envious of.  You are the epitome of wit, of intelligence, of charisma.  You have obtained that status with your own hands, on your own two feet.  Those who have doubted you otherwise deserve to rot in the depths of Hel, for they are lesser than you."_

 No doubt about that.  Goro Akechi had reached his prime, and with some careful calculating on his part, he'd soon be the talk of both Japan and the rest of the world.  He had proven all of those social workers and all of those bullies and all of those awful families and his own mother wrong in the end.  He, the ugly duckling, a lowly bastard child who had nothing to give and had nothing given to him, had turned into a beautiful swan that left those in his wake thunderstruck.  And what of his rival, Akira?  She was beautiful, surely, but what else could be said about her?  She was...not an  _ugly_ duckling in a literal sense, but she was still a gawkish little duckling.  If he hadn't known her the way he did, he'd find her completely unremarkable.  This obviously wasn't true either, but there were times that Goro would think that Akira was in over her head, making her duckling-ness and her ordinary state stick out all the more.  

_"No, that's not..."_

He tried to muster every little insult he could think of for the girl, for at the end of the day, that duckling had obtained something that that the swan could never hope for.

 _"You_ are trash...ordinary trash.  Some...girl.  A weak little girl.  You think you're hot stuff...acting like a leader and all...yeah..." He huffed, feeling strangely uneasy.  "...you let people walk all over you."  He vaguely recalled how she got on probation to begin with, and grimaced.

 _"You_ are...you’re a...a _slut...”_

“ _She’s a **victim,** you asshole. You, of all people, should understand that.”_

Goro’s grip slackened, chiding himself for thinking that. No, he realized, he didn’t hate her. He _couldn’t_ hate her, and psyching himself up like this was pointless. He was certainly _jealous_ of her, that wouldn’t change. But he was drawn to her nevertheless, often amazed that a young woman could lead the way she did, especially in a country where men usually ruled the roost.  What was more, she was too damn honest for her own good. Too damn spirited. Too damn brave. Too damn...cute.

As he thought of that, the “film” that made his fantasy had briefly flickered back to life. Akira, coming down from the high of their lovemaking, faced Goro and told him something that made him _smile._ It was just like the smiles that the real Goro would make at Akira, except _this_ smile was one to end all smiles, a smile straight from the heart, wrapped in that foreign feeling called happiness. Now if only what she had told him didn’t come out like garbled static…

Once again, the lack of filled time and his confusion over the girl stung Goro, breaching into the emptiness that stung him - an emptiness he would never,  _ever_ show the world.  It was an emptiness that he had known since his youth, and in spite of its pains and stings, it had become oddly comforting in its own way...

“ _Damn...this sucks...”_

His lidded gaze lingered across his empty bedroom, which easily had far more character compared to the rest of his drab, white apartment. He had a nice headboard that doubled as a bookshelf, and above his desk was a shelf with the few personal trinkets that he let himself keep, the few remnants of his passions and interests from childhood. A quintet of rare and highly valuable Sentai statues were nicely positioned in the center, flanked by a few figurines that he built and painted himself. A customized replica of a ray gun and a hand-crafted laser sword were nicely set in the back, and those in particular were extremely valuable: not only could he use them as actual weapons in the other world, but they were also presents from his closet _otaku_ of a mother – the sole mementos he had of her, along with the silver pins he wore on his collar. To the left of the figurines was a collection of old laser discs of old anime that he and his mother watched together, with a few art books next to those. To the right of the figurines were a few anime cels and art pieces, all of them nicely framed on the wall. The awards and medals that he valued most, along with an award of excellence granted to him from solving his first case (ha…) were on the right half of the shelf; whatever awards and trophies and bullshit participation ribbons he didn’t store had already been burned.

His gaze moved down to the desk where his laptop sat, the usual office supplies flanking it. His attache case was plopped on the chair, with only a few case files remaining inside of it. Behind the laptop was the most important memento of all: a soft, fluffy, tan-colored stuffed sheep, given to him when he was a baby. It had tiny, downturned ears, adorable black eyes, and a rainbow-colored bow tie on its neck. It made noise when one squeezed the belly, and to a young Goro, it sounded like the sheep was saying “Papa” - and that was what he named it. So dear was Papa to Goro that he did his best to preserve him, and Papa looked almost as good as he did the day Goro got him.

It seemed like a massive lie on his mother’s part when she told him that his father – Shido – had sent the toy to her while she was pregnant with him. His desire for his father’s love prevented him from believing it as such.

The sting of being alone rattled Goro harder than before, and as he began to cry, he cursed his father for abandoning him, his mother for dying on him, and Akira for forcing him to have those _disgusting_ and _tender_ thoughts of her. In hindsight, his lustful thoughts of her warranted a visit to a therapist, but he hadn’t the strength to see one. While he was ashamed of the thoughts – they were abnormally perverted, he knew – the fear of the exposure of his true self was far greater, as was the vague _something_ he felt for Akira. In the end, he realized that it had been inside of him for months, with his operation spurring its growth.

“ _...Why..._ _why_ _?_ _Why is this happening to me…?_ _”_

_***vrrr*** _

He jolted slightly as his phone vibrated. Reluctantly he reached for it and gasped – he cursed at Akira for messaging him - _"I just told myself I wouldn't see you again for a while, dammit!"_ - yet felt jubilant at the same time.

_**IM: Akira Kurusu → Goro Akechi** _

_Akira: Hey there, Akechi :)_

_Akira: Just wanted to see how u were doing. Sorry if u were in class_

_Akira: I know this is unexpected but I had fun texting last nite. Want to chat more today?_

There it was: the giddiness that made him feel wonderful and nauseous all at once. This barrage of texts might as well have come from some worm hole out of nowhere, and it was all incomprehensible as can be. But he felt so good – so _wonderful –_ that he let himself ride on this strange wave called happiness, undeserving of it as he was.

_Goro: Good morning, Kurusu. I’m doing well. Thank you for your text._

_Goro: I had fun too. It really did make my night better._

_Goro: That being said, aren’t you in class?_

As he waited on her reply, he wiped his tears away. The sadness that had struck him suddenly had left him just as quickly.

_Akira: I am. Its boring :/_

_Akira: I can just brush up on my subjects when I do homework, its no biggie for me_

_Akira: I always study tho. I know ur in the top of ur grade at ur school rite? Studying is important ^_^_

_Goro: In the long term, grades matter less than we think. I guess it depends on what we wish to pursue in the future, though._

_Goro: As a detective, I need to keep mine ahead of the curve. There are actual people in the TMPD and SIU that depend on me, after all._

He was laying it on a bit thick, but he was genuinely proud of himself for having that kind of power at his age. It wasn’t just dependence on his services either; there were people there that admired him too. And yet…

_Akira: I knew u had a big outreach, but the SIU? Im amazed :o_

_Goro: Thanks :)_

_Akira: I know we disagree on stuff, but I wont lie Akechi_

“Oh?”

_Akira: I am...a wee bit jealous of u_

“Ohhh?”

_Akira: I know u have it rough. Being a detective sounds hard._

_Akira: But I havent a clue what I want to pursue in the future. Like I have a lot I want to do, but I cant pick one._

_Akira: still better than the options I had at home, but still_

“Oh...”

He was kind of disappointed. He figured he ought to be elated that he had a leg up over her in _something,_ but it was for a dilemma that plagued everyone their age. Knowing Akira, she could probably do just about anything with ease. Worse still was the reason why he had chosen detective as his career path…

_Goro: Home? What do you mean by that?_

There was a pregnant pause after this text, with the “Akira Kurusu is typing…” message flickering in and out a few times. It seems that he had found a weak spot in the infallible Joker’s armor…

_Akira: I grew up in suburbia. Less job opportunities and stuff._

_Akira: the city’s still overwhelming at times but I love it! :D_

Even over a text, he could tell she was hiding something…

_Akira: ‘sides, I still dont know why u decided to be a squishbubble detective_

_Akira: If not now, u better spill soon X)_

“...the fuck!?”

_Goro: What in blazes is a “squishbubble?” And why are you calling me that?_

_Akira:...Because ur cute._

_Akira: >///<_

“...Seriously, what the fuck!?”

His face was boiling as much as it did during his throws of passion (read: fapped). For all intents and purposes, it could be a trap. She might be trying to get on his good side. One of her damned friends might have asked her to text it as a prank.

Or – with Akira Kurusu being as unpredictable as the sea – she _could_ be telling the truth.

“ _I don’t care if it’s just because I play a detective on TV,”_ some uncontrollable, chaotic _something_ said in the deepest pits of his mind. _“She thinks I’m cute. **She** thinks I'm cute.”_

_Goro: If you sent an emoticon like that, it must be true._

_Goro: I can see now that it’s a face with its eyes closed. The lines are for the blush._

_Akira: You don’t believe me?_

_Akira: I know that my friends don’t care for u but I do._

_Akira: How about we hang out after school? We can find something fun to do together._

Goro gulped.

It was no exaggeration when he had told her and Futaba that people shunned him on principle. Before it was his background; now, more often than not, it was because of his job. This unironic gesture of friendship was completely foreign to him. He might as well have slipped into a wormhole and emerged in another dimension. He ought to have been happy – he was _elated._ But at the same time, some raw, gnawing sensation chewed at the back of his head – something akin to fear.

“ _It’s a trap, I’m telling you! Red flag! She’s gonna take you somewhere and then her friends’ll show up and sandpaper your scrotum!”_

“Shut up, Loki,” Goro said to himself, eyes crossed. The fear was present, for sure – after all, he was approaching the third act of a grand play he had carefully set the stage for. Absolutely nothing could go wrong, and yet…

_Goro: Okay, sure :)_

...There was no harm in a little bit of improv, right? This little rendezvous wouldn't cause the curtain to fall and the stage to crumble in its midst. Everything had been carefully arranged by his own design, and his designs were completely flawless.

_Akira: :D Hooray!_

_Akira: Wow, im chilling with the detective prince after school…_

Yep. Completely flawless. This gesture of hers, though? A wonderful addition to his life...and, deep down, one he had yearned for.

Wait…

_Akira: I had someplace in mind but I wanted to ask if u had any other places u want to go. I have no clue what u like. I am down for anything._

...There _was_ a flaw…of a certain flavor.

 _Goro: I dont really hang out much. Anything that isn’t_ _Dome Town is fine by me._

_Akira: Np. Why dome town tho?_

_Goro: I had an unpleasant experience with some fans there...let’s say they were “amorous.”_

_Akira: Well fuck o_o_

The conundrum was thus: Would she see him in a different light if he told her the _real_ reason why he hated Dome Town? He did have a foul encounter with someone, but not with nutty fans. It was because of _him._ But at the same time, people of all stripes seemed to flock to Akira like seals to a rocky shore.  Maybe...

_Akira: Dont worry, no dome town. I wanted to hit up this really nice bookstore in Shinjuku and do some retail therapy...altho_

_Akira: the real reason I wanna go is...dont laugh, ok?_

“Hm? This should be interesting...”

 _Akira: the store is having a_ _nice_ _low-key event where theyre giving away artbooks and figures and stuff for a game that just came out._

_Akira: and I reeeeeaaaaalllly want that artbook_

_Akira: and I reeeeeaaaallllly love the game too…_

“F-Figures…?”

He glanced up at his shelf, gazing at the five that proudly stood there. A spark ignited in his chest, having seemingly burnt out during his youth. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to let it burn a little, position be damned…?

_Akira: Its super silly I know, but its three floors and they have all sorts of regular books and they even sell japanese goods on the lower floor. Can you just humor me a little pleeeease?_

He could see it: the normally composed Akira Kurusu completely breaking character and begging like a kid, face all scrunched and red with embarrassment. The mere thought, once again, broke out a smile.

_Goro: Of course I’ll humor you. And I do love bookstores. They’re as soothing as LeBlanc_

_Akira: Sweet!_

_Goro: What time should we meet up?_

_Akira: School is out early today, around three-ish. Ill go right to shinjuku station. Ill text u when I get there._

_Akira: Kosei is in shinjuku right? Im sure it wont take long for u to get there. Ill text the address of the building, k?_

The next text was that of the bookstore’s location, the store itself being named Awanokuniya. He had heard of it, and it had been around for many decades, but they only began expanding recently. He had never personally been in it though, so this would be a new experience for him.

_Goro: Very well then. I will be at the station by four at the latest. Hopefully the trains will be running on time today._

_Akira: I hope so too. Cant wait to see u ^_^_

_Akira: see you then!_

_Goro: See you then :)_

He closed his messaging app, still high and smiling and he let out a wane laugh. “Hahah...wow...if I didn’t know any better, Kurusu might’ve just invited me on a date...”

It really wasn’t, but the mere thought of it sent a strong, shocking jolt of heat down his spine, with a gentle variation of arousal settling in his stomach.  It would seem that, no matter how much of a duckling she was, she was steadily worming her way into the swan's heart.  Maybe it would be for the best to not ignore her.  Maybe he'd learn a secret or two about her magnetism.  Of course, there was still his surveillance to attend to.  At the end of the day, there were win-win situations all around.

"Well then," Goro said to himself, rearing to go.  "I guess I'll be doing some improv after all.  This'll be interesting...I wonder what you'll have in store for me, Akira Kurusu?"

His last thought before a nice, hot shower:  _"...Because I'm really looking forward to it."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who is the fictitious porn star, Akechi Mitsuhide? Aside from sharing a stage name with Oda Nobunaga's retainer...think of him as Goro when you filter him through Tumblr, Twitter, Pixiv, and those weird places where people unironically ship him with Masayoshi Shido. Top it off with the world's cutest butt and give him Puss-in-Boots eyes, and there you go.
> 
>   ~~Did you enjoy today's selection? Be on the lookout for the latest sex-romping adventure of Akechi Mitsuhide, Ass Detective, in _With The Studs And I_ , coming this July to an AV store near you! Our adorable doe-eyed detective's ass-wrecking misadventures reach an epic climax as all of the studs who love him and the criminals he put away all come together...~~
> 
>  Yep, now you can definitely shoot me for that.


	5. Day 5-2!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goro Akechi's planned staging of his grand plan brings in some improvisational acting. The unplanned session spurs a performance that shakes Goro to the core, sets a new tone, changes the setting somewhat. It might not deter him from the final act, but perhaps some on-the-fly changes could be accommodated...
> 
> (Read: Goro hangs out with Akira at a book store, rediscovers stuff he lost during his childhood, and has a good time. Also, Haru's fiancee is an asshole.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A kernel of trivia courtesy of the the Persona Stalker Club: the "A" on Akechi's briefcase was placed there himself, presumably by spray-painting it on, and according to him, it's simply meant to reference his last name, kind of like initials on a backpack or a nameplate. The little dot next to it, also according to him, is some kind of strange abbreviation for the word "answer." He put them on the case because he's a show-offy little fudgemuffin who, as we all know, loves attention. It adds quite a bit of meaning to the "A" emblems on the belt and pauldrons of his Phantom Thief uniform, doesn't it? It's like he's branding himself.
> 
> The "Awanokuniya" bookstore is based off of the real life Kinokuniya book chain, whose first/flagship store is actually in Shinjuku. The name of the store literally means "Book Store of the Kii Province," a location that no longer exists - and neither does the Awa Province for this version. Kii is now a part of Wakayama Prefecture; Awa is now a part of Tokushima.
> 
>  **Note:** This chapter contains sexual assault. You have been warned.
> 
>  **UPDATE 6/13/2017** : Fixed some formatting issues and redid some text/dialogue.

 

When life throws the unexpected at you, your best bet for survival was to roll with the punches and learn on the fly. This is exactly what Goro Akechi had done when he was thrust into the role of his father’s personal hitman. The results of his impromptu lessons were filled with nothing but benefits.  Among the most vital was a numbness that he grew accustomed to whenever he drove someone wild, or worse yet, let a life crumble to dust by shutdown or death.  Now the numbness was a part of his everyday life. The threads of life that he either maddeningly toyed with or cut short were tied to his targets' Shadows, and that made adapting to the numbness much easier. The same could be said for how skillful he was at lying and deceit.  Even prior to his employment under Shido, he had mastered the art of the fraudulent public persona (in the actual Jungian sense, obviously).

How else could he, the ugliest duckling of all, move on up in life? To even assimilate in this country and obtain what you desired, you had to put on a mask. If that meant soiling your own hands, then so be it...

“ _Hey, you were just trying to put her in a coma, right? Her dying like that was a complete accident, you know...or was it?”_

Now wasn’t the time for Loki to be bringing that up. He could mull over __that__ as often as he’d like later, and it was disturbingly often now, given that he found himself seeing Futaba Sakura a lot…

In any case, today would serve as a prime example of testing one’s might in the face of the unexpected. Already Goro felt like he was getting beaten, because the more he dug through his closet, the more he realized how completely hokey his wardrobe was. All of a sudden, Shido’s random yet callous comment on how his choice in casual wear made him look like a “flamboyant yuppie” made sense. It also hurt. Clothes made the man, and a handsome, career-focused high school student with impeccably tailored clothing was a sight for sore eyes in society’s opinion. He wore his clothing as a part of the act, and in the process, outfits like his favorite sweater vest (another kernel from Shido being that it annoyed him at an irrational level) and slacks became his genuine preferences. Even the pajamas he wore to bed (which were now permanently covered in come stains) were as sleek and well-crafted as they were comfortable. Under most circumstances, he’d wear the damn vest and call it a day, but today was different, and it left Goro in a tizzy.

“...One. I have one tee-shirt,” he said to no one in particular, holding the offending shirt in question.

It was plain and a crisp, cottony white. Interestingly, in spite of its plain state, it was nearly as form-fitting as what he usually wore. He put on one of the wifebeaters he would wear under his dress shirts and pulled the tee over him, and let off a wane smile. It looked nicer than he thought, but dressing like this was still foreign to him. The strangeness escalated when he discovered yet another alien object: a pair of dark blue jeans.

“...Two. I have two pairs of jeans,” he said flatly again. “And one doesn’t even constitute as pants.”

He glanced at the pair of torn white jeans that he got God-knew-how-many-years ago. He hadn’t a clue of their origins and didn’t care. He tugged at his boxer-briefs – the sole piece of childhood that he  _really_ indulged in, for they were  _ _Phoenix Ranger Featherman V__ undies that he won in a lottery – and carefully put on the dark jeans. Like the shirt, they were a bit form-fitting, but not the way his slacks were. The foreign textures of these casual clothes were comforting...and strangely inviting, too.

He ran a hand through his hair and ruffled it, staring at himself in the mirror with slight awe. Here was the Detective Prince, disguised as an ordinary pauper – and he looked pretty good, if he said so himself.

“...I feel naked.”

Naked – and __vulnerable.__ But it was all a part of the act – no, this was a little bit of improvisation. Even then, he more he mulled over that word, the more __wrong__ it felt calling it that. He was finally able to tell himself that he was spending an ordinary day with Akira Kurusu, no hangups attached, no titles thrown out there, no deceptions at play. They were going to some bookstore in Shinjuku to relax and partake in some silly event Akira had been eager to go to. It was...shockingly mundane.

And he was, as he mentioned before, greatly looking forward to it.

He glanced at himself in the mirror once more and realized that, in this vulnerable state, any fanatics of his could recognize him and hound him mercilessly. He discovered a bright red zip-up hoodie that had a small gold star on the front and put it on, and even that didn’t seem like enough. To better protect himself still, he did something rare: tying his hair back, up high in this case, and he then slapped both a surgical mask over his face and a pair of now-useless reading glasses with large, clunky frames. He glanced at the unfamiliar creature in the mirror once more and admired his handiwork, wondering how Akira would react to his appearance.

 _“Neeeeerd,”_ Loki sneered.

“Shut up, Loki...”

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The walk from Goro's apartment to Shinjuku's train station only took fifteen minutes.  Since school had gotten out, hundreds of kids were milling about, eager to sample whatever under-twenty offerings Shinjuku had before the sun set and the tigers emerged.  By day, Shinjuku was consumerism paradise.  By night, the red lights of the ward's underground sex industry proudly blazed, and the other forms of nightlife came to life, creating a cocktail of hedonism that gave the ward its infamy.  Judging from what Akira said, this bookstore was both Shinjuku-tier fun and a haven from it at the same time.  It seemed like it would be all well and good...

_***vrr*** _

"Is it her?" He quietly asked himself, fishing out his phone.  He took a quick look - and his smile instantaneously transformed into a grimace.

**_IM: [Withheld] - > Goro Akechi_ **

_**184-080-69xx-xx17:** Hey bitch_

**_184-080-69xx-xx17:_ ** _You were supposed to meet me here an hour ago.  what gives_

 **_184-080-69xx-xx17:_ ** _im paying good money for you.  my co-worker recommended me to you.  you even do anal, right?_

 **_184-080-69xx-xx17:_ ** _to think that a teahouse server is the best high-class call girl in Chiyoda...and youre ditching me!?  dont tell me you actually go to class?  or is it your real job???_

Goro audibly retched, the taste of vomit lingering on his tongue.  It would appear that he caught Masayoshi Shido - his  _biological father_ \- in the middle of negotiating over someone he had hoped to have... _intimate relations_ with.  The number, caller ID redacted for protection, was the same that he used to call him with.  He had never seen him text before, and was shocked at how poor it looked.  Then again, he was meeting with a hooker ("That's  _call girl,_ you brat.  There's a difference."), so the shit texting was likely deliberate.  Come to think of it, this was the sixth prostitute he'd be meeting with this month...

_"He's fifty-three fucking years old and he's still banging women like a mallard..."_

The duck metaphor was all too appropriate when one spoke of Masayoshi Shido.  Even among the most aggressive males of the animal kingdom, when it came to mating, drakes were infamous for their comical yet dangerous phalli, and would aggressively gang up on a poor female in groups of three or four.  They'd batter and beat the poor female for the chance of insemination, and in many cases, the female would end up wounded or dead.  Shido was no different from that.  Given how his mother had behaved when she was alive, there was no doubt in Goro's mind that he saw her the way a horny drake saw a potential mate: a living, breathing, charming little  _hole to fuck._

"I can't believe you're my father..."

As he said those words, he felt a sharp twinge in his chest...

_***vrr*** _

_**184-080-69xx-xx17:** if you dont come in the next ten minutes ill have you arrested and rat on the teahouse you're employed with.  that house's been around forever, right?  shame that they lose their best server.  _

**_184-080-69xx-xx17:_ ** _or maybe itll be merciful that they lose you after they find out their server's a slut.  i cant believe you're in one of the top universities in kyoto either.  oh well.  women like you are worthless anyway.  why bother with college if your just gonna be riding cock all day_

"I can see why the battle of the sexes still exists," Goro muttered to himself, texting a reply.  "Really now, the 'girlfriend experience,' he says.  'High-class,' he says.  You want a step up from some street walker and now you're pissed because she has other commitments...and really, a university student?"  He forced himself to shut up, thoughts darkening.   _"I don't care that you're in good shape for a man your age, it's still gross.  You and the rest of the damn Diet...it's a cesspit of human shit."_

 **_Goro:_ ** _I believe you've dialed the wrong number.  Did you check the caller ID?_

 **_184-080-69xx-xx17:_ ** _dont be a smartass with me you cunt_

 **_Goro:_ ** _Sir?_

 **_Goro:_ ** _It's AKECHI._

A few moments passed after he typed that.  Hopefully the bastard got the damn message...

_**184-080-69xx-xx17:**...Shit._

**_184-080-69xx-xx17:_ ** _This was uncalled for, Akechi.  I apologize._

"...How rare."

This might have been the very first time the man outright apologized for something.  Alas, it was via text, and it was over some dumb misunderstanding that had no meaning...

_**184-080-69xx-xx17:** I was planning on meeting someone today, and they're very late.  I think that even a high school student like you is aware of the nature of this meeting..._

"No fucking SHIT," Goro hissed.  "A fish could figure out you're banging a hooker..."

_**Goro:** I am, sir.  Do not worry.  I know that it is none of my business.  I won't pry._

**_184-080-69xx-xx17:_ ** _Good boy._

 _**18** _ _**4-080-69xx-xx17:** In any case, I apologize again.  Since we're here, do you have anything to report on the PT?_

Goro scouted his surroundings, confirming that the sea of masses were behaving as such.  Akira had not appeared, and no one was side-eyeing him.  For this single moment, he was okay with anonymity.

_**Goro:** I am afraid that any further research on them has proven mostly fruitless.  Do not worry though.  They are targeting the Ship of Greed as we speak.  I do not know the exact date when they will raid it, but they have clearly taken the bait.  The man who owns the ship hasn't changed his habits either._

_**184-080-69xx-xx17:** Very well.  I suppose we must wait until they strike.  It's about time that stupid man got what was coming to him, don't you think?_

Was it all right to keep texting like this?  More than that, there had been something Goro had wanted to express about _that_ aspect of the mission...

 **_Goro:_ ** _Perhaps.  Not only does he not even remotely belong in the political sphere, but he is doing despicable things to his daughter as well - the latest to join the PT, might I add._

 **_184-080-69xx-xx17:_ ** _I thought your research was fruitless?_

 **_184-080-69xx-xx17:_ ** _And how do you mean?_

 **_Goro:_ ** _I said it was "mostly" fruitless.  The owner's daughter is a thief now._

 **_Goro:_ ** _But more importantly_

Still no signs of Akira.  Good.  He  _needed_ to get this out  _somewhere._

 **_Goro:_ ** _The man is no longer her father.  He is her pimp._

 **_184-080-69xx-xx17:_ ** _Beg pardon?_

 **_Goro:_ ** _He is pawning her off to some useless Dietman's son to get ahead.  Research on my end shows that he's willing to take her as a lover instead of marriage if she's..."predisposed."  The owner agreed, because he's desperate for that connection.  He is perfectly willing to have his daughter be treated like this man's sex toy._

...It would make the kill sting less, knowing that fact.  How in all the hells could Haru Okumura still love her father, knowing he'd let that bastard Sugimura rape her night after night...!?

_**184-080-69xx-xx17:**...Really, that's it?_

Goro snorted.   _"Of course."_

 **_184-080-69xx-xx17:_ ** _You're even more naive than I realized.  How can you not see how completely banal arranged marriages and mistresses are for us politicians?  That's how it goes.  It's the natural order of things._

 **_184-080-69xx-xx17:_ ** _It is normal for his daughter to be used as such.  That is her place - the place of all women.  The sooner you realize that, the better off you are._

 **_184-080-69xx-xx17:_ ** _Now, unless you have anything else to report, I shall be on my way.  Remember to erase this chat._

 **_Goro:_ ** _Yes sir._

 **_184-080-69xx-xx17:_ ** _Also, I want you to meet with me tomorrow morning, 7 a.m sharp, at the usual meeting place._

Well damn.  That early in the morning?  What could he possibly want?  

_**Goro:** I will see you then, sir._

**_184-080-69xx-xx17:_ ** _Excellent.  I shall be off now._

An error message displayed when Goro's thumb accidentally typed on the key pad, noting the imminent death of the thread.  He sharply struck the tiled wall behind him and shivered, letting the anger course through him.   _"What a bastard,"_ he hissed beneath is breath.  Every encounter with Shido would either be full of hope or full of anger, and lately the latter had occurred far too much for his liking.  To add insult to injury, the man was stuck in his ways, like many his age were - said "ways" being sleeping with any attractive woman he could get his hands on, sometimes by force, because in his mind that was their purpose.  And he'd make it a point to let those women know he  _saw_ them as such.  

 _"Who needs women anyway?"_ Loki sighed.   _"You're that much closer to the last act.  You will realize that he is all you need..."_

 "Not now, Loki..." He muttered bitterly, covering his face.

_"You know it be true.  Once the curtain falls, he will grovel before you and be forced to accept fatherhood, and your legions of adoring fans will spread like wildfire.  You've worked so, so hard for it, you know.  We cannot let the stage crumble. You don't deserve to be upstaged."_

"Stage..."

Had Akira not been slowly approaching from behind, as he could see from the corner of his eye, Goro would have let himself slump to the floor, losing himself in thought.  The darkest parts of his heart - the very same that would cry out in joy at Akira's compliments - still yearned for the love and respect that he had worked  _so_ _hard_ to get.  He reiterated it to himself: he was an ugly duckling who became a beautiful swan through a mixture of wits, work, and manipulation.  Didn't he deserve a reward for that...?

"Um, Akechi...?"

Ah.

Goro spun around and his eyes went wide at the sight of the raven-haired girl.  It seemed that she shared his notions to go incognito as well, but her approach was radically different: she wore a long-sleeved black tee with a massive crescent moon (one that had a skeleton face to boot) on the front, a long leather skirt, and short, high-heeled black boots.  She wore her hair in a bun, loose ribbons of hair falling on her face.  She, too, wore a surgical mask, which hid her face well enough, but she added to the guise with some thick mascara and a faint dusting of pink eye shadow.  The eye makeup was a little much, but she still had her glasses, and the rest of her face was free from any other kind of cosmetics, softening the blow.  It helped that her eyelashes were pretty thick to begin with...

_"...Wow."_

Akira could tell beneath his glasses and his mask that he was thunderstruck, and in turn, she became flattered and embarrassed - and for the both of them to boot.  Now what could  _she_ be thinking about, Goro mused. 

Little did he know...

 _" **God.** T_ _hose fucking glasses._ _I want to pinch his cheeks he's so cute.  And his hair...and, oh thank God he's not wearing that damn sweater vest...damn you, Goro Akechi.  Damn you for being the most adorable little conspirator in all of Tokyo.  And damn you for wearing jeans.  Damn you for wearing those tight, tight jeans..."_

"...Uhhhhhhhhhh..."

The sound that came out of his mouth was so inelegant that Akira burst out with an equally unrefined snort, followed up with laughter.  "Oh my God, Akechi, that was hilarious.  Do that again."

"Wha - !?  Hey!" Goro shouted angrily, clearly embarrassed, completely unable to halt the giggles that made his body spasm.  "I, I sounded ridiculous!  A-And besides, you, you...ahahah...you sounded like a pig...hee hee..."

"Really?" She asked, lightly snorting again.  "Oh, shit!  There I go again...pffft..."  She faced him directly, cheeks all puffy and pink from smiling.  "...Oink oink."

"Pffft-!" There they were again.  The spasms of laughter.  They needed to run free!  But his dignity was at stake!  He couldn't possibly - 

***prrrrffft***

The damn broke, and Goro burst out laughing.  Akira Kurusu had farted, and loudly at that.  

"Heyyy," Akira whined, mortified yet giggling herself.  The redness on her face wasn't just from the mortification either.  The laughter that rang from Goro's lips was drastically different from his usual light, practiced chuckles.  There was no feigned dignity in it, no air of pompousness, no sign of a falsified charm that he built from his days as the Detective Prince.  The airiness remained because of Goro's naturally boyish voice, but the rest of it was completely foreign.  

It made Akira's face heat up.  It made her heart...warm.

"...dummy."

"H-Huh?"

Once again, thunderstruck.  His damn eyes could be added to her list of what made him enticing.  They were wide and puppy-like, and they matched his delicate features  _perfectly._

"Sorry," she breathed.  "It's just that laugh of yours.  It's absolutely nothing like those little chuckles you let out in public, you know."

"Ah..." Goro realized she was right.  The feeling, like everything else associated with her, was foreign and fuzzy.  "...that is true, I suppose.  If I shocked you, or, uh..."

"What I'm saying is," she said softly, eyes averted.  "You have a really attractive laugh."

Goro froze.  Never had something so utterly  _sincere_ been spoken to him.  He could feel his reddened face glow like a firefly.

So entranced were Akira and Goro that neither of them noticed Morgana's little head poke itself out of Akira's bag.  He took one look at the two of them and his jaw hit the floor.  

"Nyaaaaaaaa!"

His mewling shriek snapped both of them out of their stupor, prompting Akira to yank him out of her bag by his scruff and glare at him.  Normally he'd falter, but Morgana glared back with equal intensity, still seemingly sore from spending another evening in the Punishment Box.  The sight made Goro laugh again, and Morgana sighed, realizing he failed.

"You both look ridiculous," said Goro, grinning beneath his mask.  "Really though, if you think about it, this whole scenario's pretty silly, don't you think?"

"It is," said Akira, discarding her glare for an earnest smile as she faced him.  "But it's all a part of the fun, isn't it?"

"This is true," said Goro.  "We are exploring Shinjuku itself, after all."

"In a fashion, yes.  But I'm still surprised," said Akira, tilting her head.  "I didn't think you'd take up on my offer, knowing I wanted to go to Awanokuniya for a promotional event.  So I have to ask, Akechi..." She paused, hoisting Morgana in her arms.  "Why  _did_ you humor me?"

"Because we have a bond, of course," Goro replied without hesitation.  "And I do love trying new things.  A bookstore is always a wonderful spot to visit, but I haven't been to this one before.  As you know, I get interviewed a lot, so I'm always looking for new things to talk about.  It's good to keep an open mind, you know."

"Ever consider swapping careers and being a radio announcer, then?" Akira asked, once again thoroughly sincere.  "The best programs always keep you on your toes when it comes to topics.  That sort of thing can make or break a boring baseball game, too."

"...An announcer, huh?  You really are fascinating, Kurusu."  He shook his head, still smiling.

"It's true though.  You have the voice for it."

"You're just flattering me now," he said softly, averting his eyes.  "Really, it's..."

He bit his tongue, sharply stopping the bitterness in his heart from escaping off of his lips.  Of course, even the most bitter roots of his heart seemed to sweeten up under Akira's words.  As fond as he was of her, he still hated that.

"Err...did I say something wrong?" Akira asked, tilting her head.  Damn her and her way with words...

"No, no!" Goro said frantically, shaking his hands.  "I just got a little embarrassed, that's all.  Your words mean a lot."  He took a breath - there it was, the calm that kept his roots in check.  "Seriously though, I'd say we've been here long enough, don't you?  Could you lead the way?"

"Of course," Akira replied, recomposing herself.  She gingerly put the still-glaring Morgana back in her bag and picked it up, letting his little head poke out.  "The store's not too far from here.  Follow me."

In the in-term between holding the cat and putting him away, Goro noticed that he did not stop glaring at him.  Even as they strode up the station steps into the sunlight, his cobalt eyes seemed to glow with some kind of grudge, and they were eerily fixated on him...

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

"So this is Awanokuniya..."

The moment he and Akira stepped inside, he knew that they'd have a good time. Awanokuniya was a nice, classy contrast to used bookstores like BOOKOFF or the gaudy manga shops in Akihabara. As Akira mentioned in her text, the basement sold artisan goods, the main floor sold regular books, and the upper level had manga, electronics, merchandise, and a cafe. The store was beautiful and sleek both inside and out, teeming with books and the like from around the world. Even the fans that had come to partake in the event upstairs were able to keep their passions to a simmer.

"I went here once before for an assignment. They had everything I need, and then some..." Akira awkwardly rubbed the back of her head and chuckled. "...So naturally, after getting the three books I needed for that, I went and bought ten more. Aaaaand I got some manga. And a paper fan. And a __maneki neko..."__

"Why in blazes would you need __that?"__ Goro asked, trying not to giggle.

"It was super-cute..." She said with a blush. "Besides, I'd get anything to brighten up my dreary-ass bedroom." She sighed. "If it weren't LeBlanc's attic, I'd just tear the place down and build it back up. Give it a fresh coat of paint too. But I don't think Sojiro would appreciate that, so I just stick to posters and trinkets."

"I see..." His eyes then widened, realizing: "Wait, Sojiro? Is that the Boss' first name?"

"Yes," said Akira. "It hasn't even been six months, but he..." She twiddled her fingers. "...He treats me like he treats Futaba."

"...He sees you as his daughter," Goro said matter-of-factually, face blank.

"I was shocked when he told me so. He made no attempt to hide his disgust with me when he first took me in. Always threatened to throw me out over the tiniest things." Akira sighed contentedly. "How we got from that point to this one...it was a long, hard road, but I'm actually happier than I could ever imagine."

"Truly?"

"Yeah. I am a firm believer that some bonds should take precedence over blood ties. I know this is kind of personal, but the man practically __saved__ Futaba from her actual family. The way they treated her makes my blood boil still..."

"Saved...her blood relatives abused her then..."

"And then some," Akira said, restraining the venom in her voice. "And in a way, he saved me too..."

The atmosphere between them had grown heavy quickly, and it didn't take a detective like Goro to realize that Akira had let something terrible slip. The way she had twirled her stray curl of hair, the downcast eyes, that same curling inward that he would often do as a child...

 _"I wonder if you've been put through the wringer too, Kurusu,"_ Goro thought to himself. _"But still, even if you have.... "_

"Fuck," Akira breathed, jolting up straight. "We're here to have fun and I put a damper on it. Sorry, Akechi."

"...It's all right," Goro said softly. "I suppose you just had to let it out, right? That...may not be a bad thing." _"For you, anyway."_

"You're right." Akira turned away, gesturing Goro away from the door. "But the truth of the matter is that I don't really address stuff like that with my friends."

"Truly?" Goro felt his heart pick up pace. _"Why are you telling me this? I mean, they are your friends, right?”_

"I don't know," she said softly. "For some reason, I just...can't."

"Really."

"Yes. And I mean every word when I say that I want to reach out to you, Akechi."

Once again, Goro could say nothing, do nothing but look upon her.  She still bewildered him somewhat, and from that came a strange split in his heart.  It was eerily similar  to the split that was embodied by Robin Hood and Loki...

"...Which is why we're going to have a fun, relaxing day today, okay?" She pat his shoulder, letting the semblance of a small smile spread beneath her mask. "No detective business. Promise me that?"

"I promise," Goro replied softly, shoving the paired set of dangerous emotions back into his heart. "We'd better have some fun, given that you dumped your feelings right out of nowhere."

"We will. The event's upstairs. Don't worry, this place is classy and has some security, we won't run into any weirdos."  Akira craned her neck.  "We'll go there first and then do some shopping.  If you want something to eat, we can do that too, okay?"

"Lead the way..."

She led the way, grinning lightly from beneath her mask. Goro could tell she had to reign herself in, as her giddiness manifested in her trembling arms and breathy chuckles. Her boots' heels __clonked__ and __clomped__ loudly up the escalator like a galloping horse, and he could see her eyes glimmer at the event once it came into view. To his dismay, Goro was charmed, and he became even more so when she grasped him by the wrist and dragged him to the table with the merchandise she desired.  As she dragged him, he mused: The past few days had been a series of gauzy, glittery-eyed windows of Akira Kurusu, and she happily returned the favor with her strange enthusiasm, seemingly unfazed by everything.

No.  Unfazed by  _little_ was the proper phrase, given her behavior downstairs.  Actually, there were even hints of it beforehand, what with that talk she had with the cat a few nights prior.  Perhaps she wasn't so perfect as she seemingly played herself up to be after all.  

 _"So she says that she wants to reach out to me...I wonder what would make her snap,"_ He thought, face neutral.   _"Hm...not as exciting as I thought it would be...in fact, it feels kind of - "_

"Here we are, Akechi."

"Ah."

He caught a glimpse of the items being auctioned off: there was an art book that had a cover reminiscent of a Western comic book (which the store also sold), and there were figurines that came in two flavors: scaled models of the characters, and paint-it-yourself figurines.

When he caught sight of the figurines, Goro felt his heart spark like a firework.

"Welp, here we are. A nice little giveaway for the latest game in my favorite series: _Psychopomp 5._ There's a raffle for whatever's on the table, and they're giving away artwork too. You don't mind if I do, do you?

"Not at all," said Goro, eyes focused on what was laid before him. He noted that the figurines were of a very high quality, with some being statuettes and others being figures with some movable parts. The characters seemed to be some kind of pulpy, supernatural take on a special military team, and up close he could better see the Western aesthetic that had somehow meshed well with the fairly "anime-esque" looking characters. Looking at the art book itself, he found himself greatly impressed at the use of dramatic lighting and dynamic angles, and he was surprised at how well-designed the cast was. Whoever the artist was seemed to __know__ how human bodies worked, and the slightest details that he saw clearly put it on a level far exceeding the traditional anime fare that had been floating around as of late.

"What kind of game is this, Kurusu?" Goro asked, putting his left hand on his chin. "I know where the title comes from and the characters look like some kind of military unit...how fascinating." He fixed his gaze on the paint-it-yourself figurines. They made him smile, and it was like when he spoke to her: out of his control. How long had it been since he painted a figurine for his collection? How long had it been since he attempted to make one himself? When was the last time he picked up a new book, a new manga, a new comic…?

"Hmm...it's a bit hard to explain," said Akira, taking a raffle ticket. "It's a role-playing series, and while each game is a stand-alone story, they are all slightly connected to one another in terms of continuity, so you can start at any one and not get lost. Now, you know how those kinds of games have some kind of mythos? Well, for  _Psychopomp,_ the mythos is psychology-based. A lot of the events stem from Freud and Jung's schools of psychology."

"Really? It's well-researched, I hope. Nothing dampers a story more than a shallow reference to the mythology you're using."

"Oh trust me, it is. You'd be amazed," said Akira, clearly enjoying herself. "Anyways, each game follows a different set of protagonists as they try and take on the supernatural events that plague them, and they usually all connect back to the world of the human subconsciousness, where human desires and thoughts manifest." She gestured at the hero in the charcoal colored camo vest that took up a large chunk of space on the art book's cover. "Our latest protagonist in the series was falsely accused of murder, and now he must redeem himself by becoming a titular Psychopomp. Like many titles of its ilk, he has a menagerie of companions join him, all becoming Psychopomps themselves."

"Psychopomp? You mean like the concept of a deity whose duty is to guide dead souls to the afterlife?"

"Something like that. Except they gain superpowers. They’re usually derived from a preexisting deity. The hero of this game can summon the angel Azrael, for example, and - oh!"

The raffle ticket that was called had Akira's number, and she shivered with joy. "Looks like I get to pick three prizes. I know you don't really like video games, but do you want something, Akechi?"

_"This is tempting..."_

Goro Akechi was many things on the surface. At almost all times, he was the charming, boyish prince among all detectives, an idol whose charm outshone all others. At other times, he'd be a ruthless, sometimes maniacal assassin, something he had no intention of doing before, but, disturbingly, had come to almost embrace it. In some instances, he'd be a straight-laced, well-to-do honor student, in others, a genuine assistant to the police. Beneath that surface, however, was something he never wanted to see, think about or muse on ever again. All of his masks had been grafted well on him, to the point which he wasn't sure who the boy named Goro __began__ as.

As time went on and his strange fantasies manifested, Goro slowly realized something horrible: that beneath the grafted facades was the worst thing that he could possibly fathom. It was a wee something, probably a child, who was __empty__ and __lonely__ and completely and utterly __broken.__ That broken little doll of a human being had been given life, wanting something that Goro could never have. It was a reminder of his past, a time of hardship and strife where the sole light in his life lied in something as silly as this...

_"A fondness for things such as this is childish and juvenile. A hardboiled detective working for Tokyo’s finest, having a fondness for fairy tales and toys? You’d be the laughingstock of every department of the TMPD – hell, the whole city, given that you’re on television so much...”_

Goro willed Loki to __shut the fuck up,__ despite the fact that he was right. If Goro made it to next spring, he’d graduate and become a full-fledged member of society. Whether he’d stay a detective or work in some other department, he didn’t know, but Kosei was a reputable public school. He could probably land into any university, get any position, ahead of even the best private school students. Detective work didn’t have the highest pay in the world, but he was still getting his foot in the door, really. He’d move on up in a few years, which meant better pay and a better reputation. Plus, he had a fat nest egg from all of his television appearances, and even an offshore account courtesy of selling off the treasures he found in the Palaces...

_“...So my future is secure...once it’s all over, everything’ll be all right...I...”_

"...Akechi? Are you okay?"

He snapped out of his trance, finding himself in the present and facing a concerned-looking Akira. Once again, the concern wasn't disingenuous. He shook his head and let out a wane smile from beneath his mask. "I'm all right, Kurusu. I was just...pondering over which one to pick..."

"I dunno, Akechi. Do you not want one after all?" It wasn't condescending or disappointed, to his surprise. "I understand, it is kind of silly. You do have appearances to keep up too, I...wouldn't want you to feel weird."

_"...On the contrary..."_

"...can you pick one for me?"

For the first time in forever, the child spoke.

"Ah...of course. Well then..." Akira's eyes were wide. "Uhm, lessee, I got the art book and the Morrigan plushie..." She held up a large, plush doll of some kind of cartoon Persian cat, presumably the mascot of the game. "I can get one more, so that's where you come in. So you want a figurine?"

_"I want them all!"_

"I cannot decide between a statue or one you can paint," Goro said quietly, his eyes softly glowing. It was as if the child had struggled to break free and control him. "I shall tell you a secret: I love statues and sculptures. I have five limited edition Featherman statues at my apartment."

"For real!?" Akira hushed back. "So the grownup prince can act his age after all..."

In a bold move, Goro blew a quiet raspberry, prompting a giggle from the girl in front of him. She had wished that she could have taken his mask off and see it. "O-Okay, okay, which one do you want? The event's ending soon, so move it along."

"Geez, putting me on the spot here...uhhh..." Wanting to surprise himself, he pointed at a random box, uncaring of the contents. "I choose _that_ one.”

"That one, huh..." Akira took the box and giggled. "It seems that you have chosen a paint-it-yourself statue of the protagonist hugging Morrigan the cat. They're even throwing a free set of paint and a brush for it. You okay with that?"

He gave the box a look, and his inner child smiled. The rough, scraggy-looking protagonist, a young man in his early twenties with dark, curly hair, was seated, hugging a fluffy calico Persian cat. The statue itself was shiny and detailed, and a bit bigger than most of them - just his luck. "I think this statue will do," he said in satisfaction, cradling it in his arms. "Thank you for the lovely gift, Kurusu. I'll take good care of it."

"Hmm..."

Heaven help poor Goro Akechi, he was desperately attempting to keep his princely facade together, but Akira could tell that he was bursting at the seams. He was shivering, his fingers twitching, desperately restraining themselves from ripping the box open right there and hugging the statue like a child hugging its favorite toy. The gestures were too rapid and twitchy to be a part of some other facade. It seemed that bits of the true self had surfaced...

"Do you want to sit down and paint some of it now, Akechi?" She asked sweetly. "You look like you're gonna jump for joy."

"Oh, no, that's fine," Goro stammered, flush with embarrassment. "That would be rather childish. I will do this at home, and - ack!"

Her index and thumb had come together on Goro's rear and playfully pinched it. He turned to her and realized that she had been getting a rise out of his flustered reactions, given how hard she was giggling. To his surprise, he had no urge to scold her or lash out at her for it. Instead, he found himself terribly fixated on how her nose wriggled, just like how it wriggled when she was thinking over something. In spite of how cool and collected she usually was, her arms gaily clapped together almost childishly. And her eyes...their ambiguously gray hue seemed to shift straight into a deep shade of viridian blue, gentle like lapping ocean waves. Like said ocean waves, they seemed to be full of life, deep and mysterious yet playful and full of surprises.

Ocean waves also swept things to and fro. The child within Goro threw himself into the waves and followed Akira to the cafe, letting the waters cleanse him, at least for a little while. As for the teenage boy that was present, the waves grew warm like a tide near the shore, swaying like his heart. He could hear his heart pounding, ringing in his ears as she sat him down, taking control as he was left with a sense of breathlessness. He set the statue down in front of him and gazed at it as if all the world's secrets were contained within it. To anyone else, it would be mundane, but it was this little statue that partook in unraveling the grafted, stapled mass that was Goro Akechi's heart...

"Do you want something to eat?" Akira asked, snapping him back to reality partway. "Here's a menu. I'll treat you today, I have a lot of change."

"I couldn't possibly let you, especially since you gave this to me," Goro said airily, eyes still in a trance.

"You can pay me back later then, okay?"

"Ah..." He glanced at the menu, noting how elaborate the offerings were. Once again, the eager, hungry child within him took command. "Well...sushi would be nice. Something with yellowtail, preferably. And that brown pastry thing looks good...the 'mont-blanc?' Whatever that is."

"And your drink?"

"Hm, I'm craving sugar today...give me a frappe. Sesame flavored. I loved sesame flavored things when I was a kid."

"You sound like my friend Ann," Akira chuckled. "I guess you do love sweets after all, huh?"

"Oh, yes. I was never allowed to eat sweets growing up, for myriads of reasons. If I had the world's fastest metabolism, I would eat a mountain of pancakes in one sitting. I'd slather it in syrup and whipped cream and bananas and berries and..."

As if the spell had broken, Goro's eyes widened with shock. He had said far too much. "Ack! What am I saying!? Uh..."

His eyes were wider than dinner plates, and his face was as red as his sweatshirt, but Akira paid him no mind and did not judge him. She just quietly reaffirmed his request, he nodded, and she went off to the counter to order. Goro was left alone with his thoughts and his statue, feeling a chilling spike of discomfort settle in his stomach. He was in uncharted territory, and he was at a loss as to what to do at the moment. As an assassin and a detective, he needed to keep his guard up at all times - or so he thought.

_"I've come this far in acting my age today, haven't I? No one knows who I am. It feels a bit strange..."_

He reamed over the details of the figurine, and of the happy-looking soldier and his kitten. The main character was a projection of the player, thus he had no name by default, but as a "soldier" he had a code name, and his was "Dagda." As for the cat, her name was Morrigan, and she had a calico pattern: A tan spot around the eye, black spots dotted across her body, and a pristine white coat otherwise. It seemed that she was a supernatural being, and she came from the other world to assist Dagda and his unit in their endeavors. An appealing mascot character she was, but like the rest of the cast, she was a well-designed one, and so plush and well-crafted were her features that Goro wished she were an actual cat to pet.

Unlike the obnoxious black menace that was glaring at him now.

“What’s your problem, you damn cat?” Goro hissed. Morgana’s glare only intensified. “I swear, Kurusu pampers you too much. It makes her dressing you up all the more satisfying,” he finished with a smug grin. Morgana’s paws furiously scratched at Akira’s bag in response.

“Aww, what’s the matter? Can’t fight back?” Goro cooed with a chuckle. “Can’t be having your master get in trouble now, can we?”

“...asshole.”

“ _..._ _Did he just - “_

A loud clinking noise forced Goro and Morgana’s attention away from one another. Both turned their heads at the source of the noise, and both of them grimaced.

Some suits were sitting in a booth spitting distance from them. Goro had seen their ilk on his escapades throughout the city: overstyled hair, severe-smelling cologne, gaudy luxury suits, shit-eating grins that were constantly present on their faces. In all his time scoping out high-end eateries and the like, Goro found them to be the most reprehensible people in the country: financiers, CEOs, members of the Diet. Those workers were foul for sure, but their spoiled hellspawn were a thousand times worse. Most of them were men, some of them were women, with the more reprehensible among the fairer sex being conniving gold diggers who knew nothing and treated women not of their kind like garbage. They were arguably easier to pity, but for every woman like Goro’s mother – a woman down on her luck who had been genuinely ensnared by a predator - there were ten others who would tear prey apart, and for no discernible reason.

Why men like these would bother with a bookstore cafe was beyond Goro, but here they were: three suits and a designated alpha. The "alpha" was a skinny man with rust-colored hair that perfectly accentuated his beady little eyes and his slimy grin. He wore a tacky white leisure suit with a sorely mismatched lavender dress shirt and tie, and loafers shinier than an oil slick. Goro could tell with one look that this man clearly fit into the “hellspawn” category of the country’s worst; he clearly had never worked a day in his life. If he did, then it was likely that all of his endeavors ended in failure and were swept away by Daddy’s hand.

While unaware of the fact that they both knew him, Morgana and Goro were aware that the alpha was a man named Sugimura, and they both knew of his bastard ways. It pertained to how he treated one young woman in particular.

“...Seriously though, I know she’s gonna graduate this year and all, but she’s still in high school. It really _is_ a turn on, don’t you think?” Sugimura sneered, lecherously grinning.

“She’d turn me on at any age, in my opinion,” said one of his friends. “Just throw on the uniform and you’re set to go. Then again, I’m more a cake eater kind of guy.”

“Eeeh, I agree with Matsumoto,” said another. “Like, there’s fresh and young, and then there’s robbing the cradle. High school girls are like unripe fruit. It’s the same with those gross-looking idols. I don’t get you, Sugimura-san.”

“Would you rather have an unripe banana or a bruised old one?” Sugimura retorted. “And the best part about it is how perfectly Okumura-san raised her...for the most part.” He sighed. “It was _so_ perfect: the looks, the behavior, the...innocence. But _no,_ she just _had_ to rebel, the little bitch. Why can’t she just shut up and do as she’s told? It makes me want to - “

A loud yawn bought Sugimura’s attention toward the counter. Some baffling expression, a mixture of a perverted grin and great anger, seeped onto the man’s face. It appeared that he had spotted Akira, who had removed her face mask in order to sip a drink – and he _recognized_ her. As if his disgust toward the group weren’t bad enough, it seemed that he had set his sights on her…

“ _This isn’t good,”_ Goro thought, keeping his eyes on her. As he suspected, Sugimura found his way toward his prey...

“Hey, you.”

“Hm…?”

Akira’s tired expression immediately shifted to one of great shock, as she and her friends had encountered this man before. Last she met him he made a threat to turn them in, but since she, a young woman, was alone, he likely had _different_ ideas in mind. While it was merely a cognition of him that they had fought in Okumura’s Palace, it might as well have been his own Shadow, given how equally disgusting both were.

“ _There’s people here. I can’t make a big commotion,”_ Akira thought in distress, leaving the man with a glare. Sugimura, obviously, wouldn't have it.

“Hey, you. I’m trying to talk to you. C’mon.”

Smart move on his part, not calling her out right away. Akira remained silent.

“I saw you over there, you know. I didn’t think you were some weird little nerd, but...” He chuckled. “I guess the alleged ‘sexy nerd’ does exist after all.” He skulked closer to her. “That’s quite the outfit you have on. I’d say you’re as cute as my fiancee.”

“ _Oh, Haru...”_

A wet tongue slithered around Sugimura’s lips as he loomed even closer. “...In fact, I think you’re even _cuter.”_

“Order number sixty-one...sixty-one...”

The meal Akira had ordered was complete, and the clerk was completely nonplussed at the harassment that was taking place right in front of her. Akira gave a panicked look at the woman, but she did not seem to care, and she went right back behind the counter. Akira let her cynicism show, sighing with some agony. _“Of course.”_

“Don’t think I didn’t recognize you,” said Sugimura, boxing her in when she tried to get her meal. “I said I’d come after you guys, remember? So unless you want to face my father’s lawyers in court, I suggest you be a good girl and come with me.”

He swiftly grabbed Akira’s rear, rubbing her bottom as if it were someone’s pet.

“Oooh, you like this, don’t you?” Sugimura crooned, delighted at the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. “I bet no one’s touched you like this before, huh? Come on, let’s go to my place, have a little fun. My stupid fiance won’t do it with me, so maybe you will, hm?”

“P -Piss off,” Akira said firmly, attempting to keep her voice level. She grasped his free thumb and bent it backwards, pulling it enough to force him to let go. If it weren’t for her visible shaking, she acted as though nothing had happened. “ I can’t wait for the day that Haru won’t have to deal with you anymore.”

“Excuse me!?” Sugimura half-shouted, grabbing her by the arm. “Mocking me, are you? Well here’s a lesson for you...” He pulled her in, and Akira’s drink landed on the floor. There was no way she could keep her cool now, and she began to whine in a panic. “When a man asks you to do something, you do what he says. I guess Okumura’s bitch isn’t the only one who doesn’t know that. I’ll teach you first, you little cunt.”

“L-Let go of me,” Akira groaned, fear lacing her voice. It was just like the incident that lead to her probation in the first place…!

“Stop making a fuss! Now shut up and - “

Something tapped Sugimura’s shoulder. He let Akira fall out of his grasp and furiously spun around.

A heavy fist landing in his eye made him wish he hadn’t.

“Ack!”

It took a lot to set Goro off, but not even his level of cynicism could stop him from at least reaching out to someone being victimized like this. As Sugimura’s body slammed against the hard counter top behind him, Akira, with a mixture of surprise and gratefulness on her face, quickly rushed to Goro’s side. Before Sugimura could get up and retort, Goro’s foot stomped inside his thigh, threatening to crush the source of his manhood if need be.

“You brat! Who do you think you are!?” Sugimura growled, wincing as Goro’s foot inched closer to his groin. “My, my father will - “

“ **Shut up.”**

Time around them seemed to freeze, the air plunging into absolute zero. The boy’s voice was darker, more _animalistic_ than either Sugimura or Akira had been expecting, and Akira in particular was reeling with shock.

She also thought to herself, gazing at the ferocity in his eyes: _“I knew it...”_

Goro’s next stunt had made Sugimura’s rage intensify: he yanked his cell from his pocket and pulled up some downloaded files he had saved, a cache of pictures. He flashed the album in front of the man, and his squeal of fear was all that anyone could hear. Akira peered over to glance at the album, and she nearly gagged at the sight of it. The images included _many_ photos of Sugimura laying it on thick to a series of girls, with the first image clearly being one Haru Okumura. But no, the man’s eyes widened with shock when he saw more of the images: his victims steadily became __even younger__ _,_ with the killing blow being a picture of him clearly groping a girl who could’ve been no older than ten or eleven.

“I’m well aware that you have Daddy waiting in the wings to save you,” Goro growled, his voice colder and darker than ice. “Maybe he will. But I’m a detective. If your preference for young girls doesn’t land your ass in prison, I’ll sniff out something that _will..._ and seeing what you’ve done today, I’m sure that won’t be very hard.”

“I, I’d like to see you try!” Sugimura retorted, and his response was Goro’s heel digging into his groin.

“Oh, I most certainly _will_ ,” Goro hissed. “I am _not_ bluffing.”

Akira winced when he furiously _stomped_ on the groin in full, making the older man squeal like a pig. “And for the record...if you _ever_ go near Kurusu again...it won’t just be my foot that’ll be smashing your dick apart, you piece of shit. Now...” He angled his foot around on the groin, and Sugimura cried out. **“Get out.”**

“I, I’ll go! Just...just _stop_ that!”

Goro removed his foot, and Sugimura shot up in a panic, taking breaths as he recovered. He was hunched over to the point that he could barely walk, and his goons had finally come to his side to help. One of them took him on his shoulder and grimaced at the two teenagers.

“Hmph. You're something else, you know that?  But it doesn't matter who you are.  Going against this guy’s useless. All of us can shut everyone up in here, and all it takes is some dough, so...yeah. Don’t bother.”

The group proceeded to stagger out of the cafe area, and before either Goro or Akira could blink, business continued within it as usual, as if nothing had happened. The few witnesses uncomfortably slipped away, and the cafe workers quietly got back to work. Aside from sounds in the cafe’s kitchen and the J-pop softly playing in the background, the only thing Goro could hear was Akira sniffling.

“Unbelievable,” Goro sighed, frowning. “The nerve of some people…”

“ _You should have made him repent. You should have fucking smashed his groingies to bits. Make ‘em scream. Make sure he doesn’t fuck over another girl.”_ Loki was brimming with energy, and it manifested in Goro with his slit eyes and the faint, trembling urge to _kill. “There’s no justice with the likes of him around, now is there?”_

“Akechi…”

The boy turned to Akira, and the killing intent he had built steadily dissipated in the face of the horribly panicked young woman. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t stave off her tears, nor her distress. The very image of Akira Kurusu that Goro Akechi had always seen in his mind had frayed apart at that very moment. She looked __vulnerable__ _,_ a bit broken, damn determined to stay strong but unable to stave off the fear from Sugimura’s assault. The redness of her face was that of embarrassment mixed with anger and stress, and her trembling body had hunched inward.

“Kurusu…?”

“Uuu...”

She was going to cry. His perfect little rival was about to break down.  It wasn't snapping, but the mask was slipping...

“ _How pitiful. This is the result of entitled superiors dragging their weight around. I do not see how she can come out of this with her heart intact. She needs to learn her lesson and know that as long as the likes of him live, nothing can truly change.”_

“Loki...”

It was the faintest whisper that she could not hear, given that her sobs grew louder.

“Kurusu...um, it’s okay...it’s...”

This situation was beyond new for Goro, and his was akin to tangled masses of wire and thread. The angry rival detective within him wanted to shut her up _(“No.”)_. The conniving hitman within him wanted to strike her in her weakened state _(“Fuck no!”)_. The abused child within him reacted twofold: he wanted to push her away, for he was afraid of any kind of contact, but at the same time, he wanted to run up and hug her. The child’s needs were foreign, much like the unexpected smiles and fits of laughter and the banter that he could share with her. It fit with how, with her, a lot of things seemed to __flow.__

“Dammit all...” Akira stuttered, tears rapidly slipping down her face. “Why didn’t I...why….”

“ _...Don’t you think it’s time to give a little something to this fair maiden?”_

“Robin Hood...”

Very little had been given to Goro Akechi as a child. Denial of all things good was a fact of his life, and with the fickle nature of others being so apparent to him, he saw no point in giving to others. He figured it would be the same with this girl, but fate seemed to have different ideas in store. Before he could retort, Akira sobbed, and, circumstances be damned, she wholly embraced Goro and cried in earnest. Goro’s eyes were like saucers, his arms frozen in place.

“I’m, I’m sorry Akechi...” Akira choked between sobs. “I let this happen...I was weak...I was...”

“Kurusu...”

Logic determined she be shoved away, or worse. But he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t do it _ _at all.__

“...Kurusu.”

“Mmnh?”

Akira felt a pair of lean yet strong arms wrap around her. They were warm and gentle, yet firm and protective, with Goro’s left hand covering the back of her head. Akira’s face had felt warm from the tears and the stress, but now she could feel it getting warmer and redder. The anxiety from the attack was being blocked out. Given her circumstances, it could never truly flee from her, but this comfort was welcome. As for Goro himself, this kind of embrace was only given to him once, on the night before his mother committed suicide. He had assumed it was a farce back then, but perhaps now he could turn it into something genuine. He whispered a soft “shhh...” into Akira’s ear, and the trembling steadily began to cease.

She slowly embraced him in return and buried her face into his shoulder, letting out one final sob.

“Thank you...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This day is loooong and there's a lot to it. The next chapter will be the final part, I promise. This was supposed to be a dumb sexy romp and, well, my hand slipped? And I'm paying the price for it. In any case, this chapter may or may not get tweaked in the future, given how long it took and how I'm a bit underwhelmed by it. 
> 
> In any case, everyone's comments/critiques thus far have been fantastic, and since I am doing this for fun and to help deal with a rough patch in my life, they make them all the better. Thank you!
> 
> Real talk though, why do people treat "filthy murderer traitor trash Goro Yagami Deathstroke" like he raped their dog? I don't even think Adachi was given this level of hatred.

**Author's Note:**

> Given the severely two-toned conflict that lies within Goro's head, I figured that Robin Hood and Loki constantly butt heads with one another.


End file.
